Berbice man pleads guilty to manslaughter

Nov 10, 2021 News

2016 murder of WCB couple…

Kaieteur News – Nazamudin Rafeek called ‘Shazam’ who appeared virtually in the Berbice High Court on Monday and had pleaded not guilty to the murder of businessman Arthur Rajkumar, 81, and his reputed wife Diane Chamanlall, 44, of Bush Lot Village, West Coast Berbice, between January 8th and 9th 2016, on Tuesday opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.
Prosecutor Abigail Gibbs, in addressing the court, detailed that the accused and others were smoking ‘Ganja’ and concocted a plan to rob the couple of their valuables and cash. They invaded the premises by wrenching out a grilled door and demanded ‘gold and money’, but the couple had told them that they did not have any. The couple were then chopped and cut about their bodies with a ‘cutlass and knife’, before the accused and his companions proceeded to ransack the home and shop that was adjoined (shop located at the bottom). Gibbs said the men had the time to pack groceries and drank ‘Stag’ beer while searching for gold and money.
After spending several hours and realising that the police were outside, they fled and during the attempt to escape, the accused ‘Shazam’ dropped his cap at the crime scene. That cap was later identified by him while in custody.
The prosecutor said that Rafeek was covered in blood when he escaped the crime scene, so much blood that there were trails and spots of it found in his yard and bathroom. Police found Rafeek’s bloodied clothes soaked in a bucket of water in his house and the blood tested positive for human blood. The couple was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, Gibbs said.
Meanwhile, the accused while addressing the court, said that the No.1 accused, Rooplall Abrahim was the mastermind behind the grisly crime and that he was “innocent to this story.” A 12-member mixed jury was empanelled, and the trial commenced on Monday. The accused is being represented by Attorney-at-law Mursalin Bacchus.
Arthur Rajkumar and Diane Chamanlall were butchered in their Bushlot, West Coast Berbice home in January 2016 in the furtherance of a robbery. After committing the dastardly acts, the men attempted to escape but were eventually arrested and taken into police custody and investigators managed to obtain confessions. Rafeek, Abrahim and Gocoul Mandanpaul were all charged for the murders.
The next court date is set for the 24th November 2021.

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