–all four accused now freed
SANJAY George has been acquitted of the manslaughter of Mohamed Munir, 75, and his wife Jamilla Munir, 70, an elderly rice-farming couple from Good Hope, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), who perished after bandits set fire to their home in 2016.

With George’s acquittal, all four persons charged in the notorious double murder case have now been freed.
The verdict was handed down recently, after a unanimous jury deliberation before Justice Simone Morris of the Demerara High Court.
George, who had been in custody for nearly nine years, was formally cleared of all charges, bringing a long and protracted legal process to a close.
George had initially faced murder charges in connection with the deaths of the Munirs, who perished when their heavily grilled two-storey home was set ablaze on April 17, 2016.
In May, a jury in the High Court in Demerara, presided over by Justice Jo-Ann Barlow, had previously acquitted him of murder, returning a unanimous verdict of not guilty.
However, the jury was unable to reach a verdict on an alternative charge of manslaughter, leading to his remand pending a fresh trial.

In 2023, George’s three co-accused—Jason Howard, Shamadeen Mohammed, and Joel Blair—were freed after the court directed jurors to return formal verdicts of not guilty.
The decision followed findings that there was no evidence linking them to the crime and that the accused had sustained unexplained injuries while in police custody.
The horrific incident occurred shortly after 23:00 hours when the couple became trapped in the raging fire. Their badly burnt bodies were retrieved from the debris after the blaze, which eyewitnesses reported spread rapidly from the upper flat throughout the house, was extinguished.

Investigators had suggested that a gang of six, which included a driver and a lookout, targeted the Munirs after reports indicated the couple kept millions of dollars in cash at home.
According to reports, upon breaking into the house, the assailants searched for valuables.
The Munirs woke during the robbery, prompting the men to try to access the couple’s bedroom. They were thwarted by the building’s security features.
The perpetrators then set a sofa on fire and threw a gas bottle into the flames, causing a loud explosion minutes after fleeing the scene.
Neighbours reported hearing the couple’s desperate screams for help. The bandits escaped through a track that led to a church and cemetery behind the house.
George, represented by Attorney-at-Law Kiswana Jefford of the law firm Hughes, Fields and Stoby, maintained his innocence throughout the legal process.
Jefford told reporters that George had a history of mental health challenges and was coerced into leaving his home by the arresting police officer, who was familiar with George’s family and lived in the same community.
“The defence argued that George was beaten by police while in custody and forced to confess to the murders,” Jefford said.
She added that the caution statement presented by police was fabricated. She said that documents produced by the defence showed that George’s signatures before and after his arrest did not match those on the alleged statement.

Psychiatrist Dr. Meenawattie Rajkumar, called as a witness, also testified about George’s mental health condition.
George was first arrested in December 2016 and remained in custody until April 2025, when he was released on bail following an application by Jefford.
The recent acquittal on manslaughter charges brings closure to a case that has spanned nearly a decade.