Accused paid friend US$5,000 to have spouse killed – court hears

– caution statement admitted into evidence

MURDER accused Hemwantie Abdulla had given her friend and co- accused Seerojni Permaul, US$5000 to hire a hit man to kill her husband Abdool Shakeel Majid, whom she claimed was abusive.

Former Detective Sergeant Aubrey Joseph revealed to Justice Sandil Kissoon and a mixed jury that, after putting the allegation and caution to the number one accused Hemwantie Abdulla, called Annie, she responded,’ Officer me gon tell you the truth’.

Abdulla, called Annie and Anese, a nurse aide of 132nd  Street, Ozone Park, Queens, New York,  along with Seerojni Permaul, known as Surojnie or Usha, are  accused of unlawfully killing Abdool Shakeel Majid, a citizen of the USA on April 26, 2012 at Number 63 Beach, Corentyne, Berbice. They have pleaded not guilty to the murder indictment and are represented by attorneys-at-law Murseline Bacchus, Nigel Hughes and Arun Gossai .
Majid, along with his wife of four months, Hemwantie Abdulla, had arrived in Guyana on April 22, 2012 with the intention of spending a two-week vacation.

But, five days later, the battered, lifeless body of Abdool Majid, whose scalp was missing, was found on the popular beach, while his wife had returned to their Queens home in New York, USA.

Meanwhile, in his evidence, Joseph, who now heads the security unit at Barama Logging Company, reading the caution statement attributed to Abdulla, and which was admitted into evidence said, ‘ Abdool Shakeel Majid was my husband. We were married on November 26, 2011. I have six children, but none with my present husband [ Majid].During May or June 2008,he was involved in a vehicular accident in Jamaica , New York, as a result, he was bedridden. I cared for him while he was in hospital and at home.’

‘We were having domestic problems every time I would go out and come in he would beat me up. This problem was going on for a long time in the USA. I got fed up and planned to kill him.
Two months before April 2012, the couple travelled to Guyana and visited ‘Usha’ house at Belvedere Settlement Squatting area, where her new husband was introduced; but, he was not appreciative of the friend and had warned his wife from being around her.

‘’So, I told my friend Usha, to see someone to kill him. I gave her US$5000. A week later, my husband and I returned to the USA. On April 17, 2012, Usha and I spoke on the telephone. She said everything was okay.’

Five days later, the couple returned to Guyana .During this visit Majid rented a car (PNN1208) from one Shawn of Georgetown. After spending three days in Diamond Housing Scheme at Majid’s house, they travelled to Chesney Village, Corentyne, where a night was spent at her cousin Boopram. During that period, she contacted and spoke to hired hitmen ‘Nicky’ and ‘Black Boy’, before travelling to Skeldon where food was purchased. Thereafter, they travelled to the Number 63 Beach where after eating they took a walk along the shoreline.

‘’We come out the car and began to walk. ‘Nicky’ and ‘Black Boy’ came and started to beat my husband.. Nicky lash my husband in his head with a piece of wood he picked up from the beach. My husband fell to the ground.  The ‘Black Boy’ picked up my husband and placed him in the trunk of the car. Nicky drove the car with ‘Black Boy’ inside , and they dumped the body far away on the beach. They returned the car, before walking away. I drove the car to Usha’s house, where I washed out the blood from the trunk and sprayed freshener. Then I called my brother Balwant Singh for him to pick up the car at Usha’s place and give it back to Shawn. On April 27, 2012, I returned to the USA. I did not tell my husband’s relatives what I did to my husband’.

Meanwhile, in her caution statement, Seerojni Permaul, known as Surojnie or Usha, recounted knowing Abdulla when she lived at Belvedere village over nine years before. At that time, her husband was Azim Abdulla.

‘Sometime during January 2012, Annie brought another man to my house. She tell me she tek the man and that he name Shakeel.  February 2012, she visited my house twice with her brother Balwant Singh called Ballie. April 2012 she come with a guy in a silver motor car. She carry me in the house and gave me $5000 fuh give me son-in-law. Later, she ask me fuh some cloth and water. She opened the trunk and clean it, before spraying freshener’.

The trial is continuing with Joseph being cross-examined by defence attorneys. Special Prosecutor is Mr Ganesh Hira.