The trial of the four accused in the murder of US-based Guyanese Motilall Singh continued yesterday in the High Court with the admission of the caution statement of Bibi Farida Khan called ‘Pum,’ who told police her mother bankrolled the killing.
Bibi Farida Khan, Shamiza Khan, called ‘Sham,’ Hoosman Khan, called ‘Strong Man,’ and Bisoondial Mahadeo, called ‘Weed Man,’ all of Windsor Forest, are on trial before Justice Navindra Singh and a 12-member jury for the murder of Singh, at Windsor Forest. The bloodied body of Singh was found close to a tiny bridge at Second Street, Windsor Forest in September, 2009. He had been stabbed 21 times.
A fifth person, Ayube Hamid, called ‘Little,’ was also charged with the murder but he died while in prison.
In her caution statement to police, which was read in court yesterday by Corporal Cranston Fraser, Bibi Farida Khan said that two weeks before the murder her stepfather arrived in the country to bury his brother and he was staying at her sister’s home. According to her, there was a plan to kill her stepfather “because he and me mother get problems.”
She said that her mother sent some money for them to hire someone to commit the murder and that is when she and her sister decided to approach someone to do the job. “Me and Shamiza went in front of Bay View at Blankenburg and meet Tall Man and Shamiza pay Tall Man US$800 to kill we stepfather,” the court heard.
In the statement, she said that he did not take the money at first, but after they begged him to he took it and drove away. “He didn’t want tek the money, so we force he fuh tek it and he tek it and drive off in he bus and every time we call he fuh do the wuk he phone always off. Sometimes me does call and sometimes Shamiza does call,” she had also said.
She went on to say in her statement, “This morning about 4am, Lisa, me brother daughter holler for me from the road and tell me that Moti dead and mi tell she mi nah believe but when mi go mi see mi stepfather on the road dead.”
On Tuesday, the caution statement of Shamiza Khan was read to the court by Corporal Oswald Foo. In her statement to police, she had said that her mother phoned her and told her that her stepfather wanted to “sell out the house and draw out the money from the bank.”
She stated that on August 4th, 2009, after her stepfather arrived in the country, her mother called her again and told her that her stepfather wanted a divorce. “I talk to my stepfather and he say that he don’t want my mother anymore. During the second week in August my mother called me and asked me if I can find someone to kill my stepfather and I told her I would try my best,” she was quoted as saying in statement.
Khan said that she discussed the matter with her big brother, Hoosman Khan, and that she also told her husband, Ayube Hamid. “He told me that he would look for somebody to do the job and my husband bring Weed Man and we discussed it and Weed Man say that he gon bring somebody,” she added in the statement.
“Couple days after Weed Man say that he have to get an advance to do the job and I called my mother and told her that the person want $300,000 to do the job. She tell me that she will send the money and she called and give me a receipt number and I went to the Western Union at Vreed en Hoop and I collected $180,000…I give Farida $150,000 to give Weed Man and he was supposed to kill my stepfather on Friday 4th, September, 2009,” she was also quoted as saying.
The woman went on to say that after he did not do the job on that day, Hamid said that he and Mahadeo would do it the Sunday afternoon. “On Sunday September 6th, Hoosman and my stepfather left the house to go down at Bharrat rum shop at Meten-Meer-Zorg. Hoosman know that my father will get kill tonight. About 11pm, Hoosman call and tell me that they deh by Bay View and I told my husband and he say he gon get Weed Man,” she was reported to have said.
“About 1am, my brother called and tell me that they leaving Bay View and I told my husband and he and Weed Man left the yard. At 2am they came back and I see my husband left side shoulder had a wound and it was bleeding. He told me that he lock off the man and Weed Man jook the man and he get two jooks. He tell me pay the man leh he go out of the yard,” she added.
Khan said that she paid Mahadeo $100,000 and proceeded to give her husband $10,000. “He leff the yard and say he will call me. My mother de also send $160,000 at Western Union and I collected it. My husband carried away the bloody clothes and the next day the police came and took me, my sister and brother to the Leonora Police Station.”
Meanwhile, Fraser also told the court yesterday that he along with another Police Superintendent went with Shamiza Khan to her home, where she handed over two Western Union receipts which were sent from Jaiton Singh to Shamiza Khan, $24,000 and five US$20 bills. These were tendered and marked as exhibits in the trial. He also said that he performed tests on the stainless steel blade that was found in the trench but found no traces of human blood. He added that they did not find the blade the same day that they found the body and they went back the following day.
In December, Keith Boodram called ‘Ravi’ and ‘Tall Man’ had testified that on September 2, 2009, at about 19:00 hrs, he received a phone call from Bibi Farida Khan, who said that she wanted to see him at La Jalousie. He said that he drove over and when he got there he saw Khan and her sister on the road and she told him that her stepfather was in the country and she wanted him to kill him. Boodram said he looked at her told her, “Me don’t deh in duh.” He stated that she had some money in her hand and she then threw it in the bus and told him to think about it, after which he drove away. Boodram said when he got home he checked the money, which amounted to US$700 and he later used it to invest in his business.
The caution statement of Mahadeo was also read to the court in December. He had said that six days prior to the murder he was with Hamid and Shamiza Khan when they told him that they wanted him to “kill uncle Motie because he want to sell out the house with them inside”.
Attorney Glenn Hanoman is appearing for Mahadeo, while Senior Counsel Bernard De Santos is appearing for the other three accused. Senior State Counsel Judith Gildharie-Mursalin is presenting the state’s case.
The trial continues today.
