Almost a year since the body of murdered businessman Mohamed Khan was found, his family remains disappointed with the police’s apparent sloth in bringing his killers to justice, even as Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum insists that the investigation is still very much alive.
So far, an ex-policeman has been charged with conspiracy for his alleged role in plotting the killing, but Khan’s family says this is not enough. For them, the details of the murder will remain a mystery unless the persons who took Khan’s life are identified and arrested.
Shabir Khan, one of Khan’s siblings, told Stabroek News from his home in the United States that he wants Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan to ensure that all the major players in the high-profile crime are caught and prosecuted. He also registered his belief that bribes are being paid to high ranking officials in all quarters to ensure that certain “high-level men” are not charged.
“Money talks,” he stressed even as he suggested that serving and former policemen had a hand in the brutal crime.
It is believed that Khan, also known as ‘MFK,’ the former owner of MFK Trading, was kidnapped on August 9 last, moments after visiting a lawyer’s office on Hadfield Street. He was never seen alive after.
On September 22, a decapitated corpse was found at Cummings Lodge. It was missing one leg from the knee down and a foot from the other leg was apparently severed at the ankle. The head, which was in a plastic bag, was found nearby. The body was later confirmed to be Khan’s.
It is still unknown how Khan died. It is believed that he was either shot or bludgeoned to the head before being decapitated.
The motive behind his murder is suspected to be a soured business deal between him and another businessman over the sale of the Hadfield property where MFK Trading was located. It has since been found that documents related to the property, which are at the Deeds Registry, had been forged.
Police were headed nowhere with the investigation until murder accused Lennox Wayne, called ‘Two Colours,’ came forward and implicated a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police and a serving Sergeant. Wayne decided to break his silence over fears that he was being framed for a separate murder because of his knowledge of the case and the fact that a previous hit on Khan had failed.
Following an investigation into the man’s claims, the retired Assistant Commissioner of Police and two policemen were arrested and questioned by detectives before being released. Based on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Tactical Services Unit (TSU) policeman Leon Lindo was charged with conspiracy to commit murder. It was also advised that the other policeman be charged internally for the neglect of duty, while no charges were recommended for the retired officer due to insufficient evidence.
The police were also asked to conduct further investigations as it pertained to the questioning of a fourth person to further confirm the alibi of one of the three men implicated.
Stabroek News has since been told that the file was never returned to the DPP and it is unclear if the police managed to make any headway with the information requested by the DPP.
Blanhum said that while one person is before the court, the investigation is still ongoing.
An incensed Shabir said he believes that Wayne was present when his brother was killed as he had too many details about the murder plot. He said he is concerned that police were unable to go further with the information provide by him.
Wayne had told detectives that, during a meeting with a police sergeant, he was told of an offer of half a million dollars to kill Khan. This meeting reportedly took place at TSU headquarters, at Eve Leary, last July.
One day after being shown where Khan was staying, Wayne said, he returned to the area to carry out the hit and spent some time trailing the businessman from that address to Georgetown. He said an opportunity later presented itself when the businessman made a stop at La Grange while going back to his West Bank home.
Wayne admitted that he did shoot Khan but noted that instead of falling to the ground, Khan ran off. Khan, who was shot in the stomach, was later hospitalised for the injury.
Khan had told Stabroek News that he was held up by a lone gunman outside the masjid in La Grange while he was talking to a friend. He added that he thought the man was an ex-policeman since he “sort of recognised his face.”
Wayne has been quoted in the media as saying that he had been working closely with police ranks.
After being discharged, Khan travelled to Venezuela, where his wife and several of his children reside.
Wayne claimed that about a month later, the police sergeant informed him that Khan had returned and was spotted at a lawyer’s office on Hadfield Street and he was told to go to the location.
On his arrival, he alleged that he saw the retired officer staking out the location and the sergeant and others arrived in a heavily tinted vehicle.
Wayne said that after Khan left the office, they all followed him but he was eventually told to back off. Later, he asked the sergeant about his payment for shooting Khan. He said he was convinced that he was framed for murder subsequently because he was being seen as a liability. He said it was after realising what had happened that he made a decision to expose the plot.
According to Shabir, he believes what Wayne has told investigators. Phone records have confirmed that Khan and the retired officer had a lengthy conversation on the day that he disappeared. Stabroek News was told that Khan and the retired officer were friends.
Shabir said he is concerned that the retired policeman is still free and the police are seemingly not pursuing that lead.
He wants Ramjattan to look into the matter, not only because it is one of many cold cases but because present and former members of the force, including one who had close links to the former administration, have been implicated.
He believes that there were at least three other persons involved in the plot.
The court case, he said, is also a sore point for the family because it seems to be going nowhere. Lindo was charged in May and when the case was called in July the court was told that the police files were not ready for the proceedings to begin.
“I would like the prosecution to take up this case and for Ramjattan to do so too,” he said, before stressing that his brother’s killers are still roaming free. He expressed concern that Wayne has gone “quiet” and opined that he was paid off to keep his mouth shut. He is certain that the probe would implicate persons in authority, hence the foot dragging.
“I don’t understand what is going on,” he said, while adding that the family remains convinced that Khan’s murder stemmed from the sale of his property.
Another relative, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Stabroek News that while the grief is there, nothing can be done to bring Khan back. The relative also expressed disappointment with the lack of progress in the case.
“What we gon do? All we could do is pray,” the relative said
