Grieving parents still to find closure

MOHAMED Khadir and his wife, Sahidan, of Vilvooden Village, on the Essequibo Coast, are calling for justice for their 37-year-old son, Mohamed Zamir, who died five years ago after being involved in a vehicular accident on the Maria’s Lodge Public Road.The accident reportedly occurred at around 02:30hrs on February 9, 2009, and involved a Land Cruiser being driven by a popular Essequibo businessman and a car, the driver of which died on the spot.

Zamir, who was badly injured, was admitted to the Suddie Hospital, but was subsequently transferred to a city hospital, where he died some three days later.
According to Mr. Khadir, an inquiry into the case was conducted at the Suddie Court, but was dismissed on September 20, 2013. He claims he was not informed when the matter was called, but has since learnt that the case-jacket could not be found.
The grieving father said he visited many places to seek justice for his son’s death, but was unsuccessful at every turn. He said it was not until a year after the accident, that the police went to his house and took a statement from his wife. The father of three said he was never asked to give a statement, although he was prepared to do so.
He is now calling on the relevant authorities to reopen the case so that justice can be done. As for compensation, Mr Khadir, who is now in poor health, said that though he spent more than $4M to look after his son while in a private hospital in town, and for his burial, all the help he got from the businessman was a measly $100,000; and this was long after his son was buried.
He said that although the businessman, who is a very popular figure on the Essequibo Coast, promised to fully compensate him at the end of the case, he has never turned up for the hearing, nor has he kept his word to this day.
Mr. Khadir said the death of his son has struck him so hard, that every night he goes to bed, he still cries for him. And now that he is ill, he can no longer work as he used to.

(Rajendra Prabhulall in Essequibo)