ABDULSALAM Azimulullah, who evaded the arm of the law for several years, appeared at Albion Court, Corentyne, on Wednesday and Magistrate Fabio Azore postponed the start of the preliminary inquiry (PI) into the murder charge against him to July 24. The accused had made an appearance at New Amsterdam Court, also in Berbice, on Monday, where the charge was read to him by Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo and the case was transferred to the Albion Court.
Azimulullah is charged with the unlawful killing of Gary Simon on December 17, 2004, when the latter, his reputed wife, Annette Samaroo and a friend called ‘Rama’, were sitting at the Red Rose Bar, Nigg Settlement, Corentyne.
The injured man was rushed to the Port Mourant Hospital, prior of being referred to New Amsterdam Hospital where he succumbed the following day.
A post mortem, performed by Dr. Vivikanand Brijmohan, said the death was due to shock and haemorrhage and incised wounds.
Azimullullah was, initially, jointly charged with Garsham Jaggassar and Devendra Harrichand but the latter two had the charge against them discharged, following two preliminary inquiries and a trial at the Berbice Assizes.
At at the first PI in the lower court, the presiding magistrate had committed the trio to stand trial for the lesser count of manslaughter. Consequently they were put on bail.
But, after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), subsequently, ordered that the men be committed to stand trial for the capital offence, Azimulullah went into hiding while his co- accused were captured.
He had been on the run until June 2, 2012, when he was apprehended along with others following a robbery attack on a couple at Cumberland, East Canje, in Berbice, too, since then he has been on remand in prison.