ABDUSSALAM Azzimulla has finally been committed to stand trial for the murder of Gary Simon, allegedly committed on December 17, 2004. Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo ruled that the Prosecution had made out against the accused a sufficient case to be indicted at the Berbice Assizes.

The 38-year-old Azzimulla, who had been a fugitive from justice for nine years, was nabbed following a robbery committed on Inderjeet Persaud and his wife, Melissa Fernandes, at Cumberland Public Road, East Canje Berbice.
Azzimulla was always on the Police radar, though, as he had fled the jurisdiction after facing the joint charge for murdering Simon, when another magistrate at the Albion Court on the Corentyne had found that a prima facie case had been made out for him to be tried on the lesser count of manslaughter, and had granted him bail.

However, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) subsequently ordered that Azzimulla, along with his co-accused — Ganshan Jagassar, called Suresh, and Devindra Harrichand, known as Bara — be committed for the capital offence.

Azimullah never faced any trial, because he could not have been located; but after he was captured, he  told Magistrate Nagamootoo that he was living with his mother and wife at Hampshire, Corentyne, but worked as a miner in the Guyana interior.