Azimulullah further remanded on 2004 murder charge
Abdulssalam Azimulullah who had evaded ‘the arm of the law’ for several years reappeared unrepresented by legal counsel before Magistrate Fabio Azore at the Albion Magistrate’s Court to await commencement of the preliminary inquiry into the murder of Gary Simon, expected to start on July 24. The defendant had appeared at the New Amsterdam Court on Monday, when Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo had read him the indictable charge, to which he was not required to plead. The matter was subsequently transferred to the Albion Court for hearings.
Azimulullah is accused of killing Gary Simon on December 17, 2004. The deceased had been sitting with his reputed wife, Annette Samaroo, and a friend, ‘Rama’, at the Red Rose Bar in Nigg Settlement, Corentyne imbibing alcoholic beverages when he sustained injuries to his body. The injured man was rushed to the Port Mourant Hospital, then to the New Amsterdam Hospital, where he succumbed the following day.
A post-mortem onducted by Dr Vivikanand Brijmohan recorded death as due to shock and haemorrhage from incised wounds to the legs.
Azimullullah had initially been jointly charged with Garsham Jaggassar and Devendra Harrichand, but those men’s charges had been dismissed following two preliminary inquiries and a trial at the Berbice Assizes.
However, at the original hearing of the murder case in the magistrate’s court, when Azimulullah was present, the then presiding magistrate had committed the trio to stand trial for the lesser count of manslaughter. Consequently, the men were ordered to post bail pending a hearing at the Criminal Assizes, but the Director of Public Prosecutions had subsequently ordered that the men be committed to stand trial for the capital offence.
Azimulullah had then gone into hiding, while his co-accused had been captured; but
having evaded justice for several years, Azimulullah was nabbed, along with others, following a robbery attack on a couple at Cumberland, East Canje, Berbice on June 2 last. He has since been remanded to prison.