The police yesterday closed their investigations into the allegation against four persons in custody in relation to the murder of Roger Manikam and the case file is currently with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) awaiting legal advice.
This is according to Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum who told Stabroek News that the suspects, three adults and a 12-year-old girl, will be making their first court appearance as soon as advice is received. It is unclear whether the juvenile will be charged.
The body of Manikam, 65, of Nonpareil, East Coast Demerara, was discovered on Sunday near a drain, some five corners from his house along the Coldingen Embankment Road. There was a chop wound to the back of his head.
A post-mortem examination revealed that he died as a result of brain haemorrhaging due to blunt trauma to the head.
A quantity of bloodied materials, including clothing which was dumped some distance away from Manikam’s body, was retrieved on Tuesday, after the two men in custody accompanied detectives to the site. The materials are currently being analysed for forensic evidence.
Stabroek News was previously told that the suspect who transported the body had told police investigators that he received a call from the other male suspect on Saturday evening and was told that Manikam’s car battery was down and he needed a “jump start.”
As a result he went to the house where he was told of the murder and then taken to the kitchen, where he saw Manikam’s body on the floor. He also allegedly witnessed the man’s body being wrapped in plastic.
He allegedly assisted them in putting the body in the back seat of his vehicle after which he dumped the body. Thereafter, he dumped the bloodied materials some distance away from the body.
Based on reports received earlier, one of the suspects, after being arrested on Monday, revealed to police the plot to kill the pensioner, who constantly harassed them.
According to the source, they allegedly hatched a plan where they went into the kitchen of the house and started to scream in order to lure him there.
They were successful in doing so and as Manikam was entering the kitchen, the male suspect allegedly dealt him a blow to his head with an axe.
He collapsed to the ground and subsequently died. They then cut the polythene clothes line in the yard and tied his body after wrapping it in plastic.
