DETECTIVE Corporal Kester Moriah told a Demerara Assize jury on Wednesday that the people who witnessed the killing of Mahaica farmer Lakhram Bishundial in 2010 did not give the police proper information in relation to the perpetrators.

Following the robbery/murder of Bishundial, persons told the police that “two men on a Black 125 Bike rode up and rob the man and rode towards town”.
Moriah was cross-examined by Mr. Trenton Lake when he made this disclosure.
However, State Counsel Miss Natasha Backer who, along with another prosecutor is prosecuting before Mr. Justice Bovell-Drakes, had usurped re-examination to show that Moriah was not the Chief investigator.

According to reports, on August 20, 2010, Lakhram Bishundial was shot at Hope Turn, East Coast Demerara, as he was on his way to a nearby Ashram to make preparations for his younger brother’s wedding.
His brother, Totaram had left his home in De Hoop Mahaica for Georgetown earlier that day. He went to do some last minute shopping for his wedding, which was scheduled for the upcoming weekend. He was accompanied by a female relative. Totaram Bishundial withdrew $500,000 from a city bank and was returning home to Mahaica when he met his brother at Hope, East Coast Demerara. The siblings had parked their vehicles and began to chat, when a gunman approached them and demanded money. The suspect pointed the gun at the younger Bishundial but his brother interjected and was shot by the robber instead. The assailant and another man escaped on a motorcycle.

Accused of the crime are Shawn Anthony Thom and Orin David called ‘Plait Hair’ ‘Malit’ or ‘Malik’, who are charged with having on the 21st day of August, 2010 in the county of Demerara murdered Lakhram Bishundial, called Mohan.

Thom was the first to be held. Acting upon information, the Police caught the accused Thom among a crowd at the Victoria Gas Station the said day.
The accused explained that he was a clerk from DIDCO who had gone on the Back Dam on the East Coast to buy some ‘weed’ when his bike ran out of gas and he had to leave it there.
The police escorted him to the Back Dam where the motor cycle was found. Moriah said that the bike was a black bike but the accused denied this saying that it was black and blue.
The No 2 accused, Orin David called ‘Plait Hair’, was not captured until later resulting in the investigation not being completed until December the same year.
Attorney-at-Law Mr. Trenton Lake is representing accused Thom while lawyer Mr. George Thomas is representing David.
The hearing is continuing.

(George Barclay)