Abdulssalam Azimullah, a fugitive from justice since 2004 when he was wanted for murder, appeared at the Albion Court yesterday before Magistrate Fabayo Azore and the Preliminary Inquiry into the murder of Gary Simon has been set to commence on July 24.
Azimullah was unrepresented.
The defendant had appeared at the New Amsterdam Court on Monday, where an indictable charge was read to him by Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo. He was not required to plead to the charge. The matter was subsequently transferred to the Albion Court for hearing.
Azimullah is accused of killing Gary Simon on December 17, 2004.
Simon was with his reputed wife, Annette Samaroo, along with a friend called ‘Rama’, sitting at the Red Rose Bar, Nigg Settlement, Corentyne, when he was attacked and sustained injuries to his body.
The injured man was rushed to the Port Mourant Hospital, prior to being transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he succumbed the following day.
A post-mortem examination conducted by Dr Vivikanand Brijmohan found that death occurred as a result of shock and haemorrhage and incised wounds to the legs.
Meanwhile, Azimullah initially was jointly charged with Garsham Jaggassar and Devendra Harrichand, but the men had their case discharged following two Preliminary Inquiries and a trial at the Berbice Assizes.
However, at the original hearing of the murder case at the lower court when Azimullah was present, the then presiding magistrate had committed the trio to stand trial for the lesser count of manslaughter.
Consequently the men were ordered to post bail, pending a hearing at the Criminal Assizes but the Director of Public Prosecutions subsequently ordered that the men be committed to stand trial for the capital offence.
Azimullah went into hiding but his co-accused were apprehended.
After evading justice for several years, Azimullah on June 2, 2012, was nabbed along with others following a robbery on a couple at Cumberland, East Canje. He has since been remanded to prison.
