Latest update February 14th, 2025 6:20 AM
Senior cop Caesar, Mohamed and suspect suing Detective Sgt. for defamation of character
‘Paper Shorts’ murder outside Palm Court…
Kaieteur News – As an investigation into the brutal murder of Ricardo Fagundes continues, one of the suspects, along with prominent businessman Azurddin Mohamed, and a senior cop, Superintendent Mitchell Caesar, have slapped a detective with defamatory lawsuits after he publicly accused them of conspiring together to cover-up the probe.
Detective Dion Bascom
The detective, Sergeant Dion Bascom, made the accusations in a Facebook live after he was detained in a CANU drug bust and his mug-shot was published in a public report. He had claimed during the live that the arrest was a set-up to silence him after he accused his superiors of accepting a bribe to cover-up the case.
Bascom was one of the detectives working on the Fagundes murder case but he was later removed from the investigation and transferred after reports had surfaced in the media that he had received threats from one of the suspects involved.
That suspect was identified as Mark Richmond aka ‘Shop Man’ and he is one of the individuals now suing Bascom for defamation.
Businessman, Azruddin Mohamed
It has been confirmed that ‘Shop Man’ is a security officer employed with Mohamed’s Enterprise situated at Lombard Street, Georgetown. In his Facebook live, Bascom said that with the use of technology, investigators were able to place ‘Shop Man’ at the crime scene on the night of the Fagundes’ murder. Claims were also made that cell phone records show that he was in contact with Mohamed at the time of the homicide.
Bascom further alleged that this vital piece of information was relayed to his superior, Superintendant Caesar, at the Criminal Investigation Department at Eve Leary but he never acted on it. The detective claimed that the reason is simply because he (Caesar) was paid a $30M bribe to destroy the evidence and cover-up the investigation.
The three individuals he implicated in the crime and the alleged cover-up of the investigations have chosen to respond with multi-million dollars lawsuits and are being represented by the same attorney-at-law, Sohan J. Poonai.
In letters they wrote to Bascom, he was asked to make a public apology and pay them damages to the tune of hundreds of millions within seven days and should he fail to comply, he will have to defend himself in court.
Senior Superintendent, Mitchell Caesar
Richmond (the suspect), via his lawyer, told Bascom that the statements he made about him have caused his reputation continuous harm and damage. The statements made by Bascom against Richmond include that he was involved in killing Fagundes, conspired with others to cover-up the investigation and was in contact with another individual at the time of the murder.
Bascom had even accused Richmond of wanting to kill or cause him grievous bodily harm.
If Bascom fails to pay up and retract his statements with an apology then he could find himself liable to pay Richmond over $100M in damages.
On behalf of Mohamed, the lawyer instructed Bascom to publicly apologise and retract his statements that he was associated with Fagundes’ murder and had paid an officer $30M to cover up the investigation. If Bascom fails to comply, he will be sued for more than $25M in damages.
Caesar, in his lawyer’s letter to Bascom said that statements accusing him of being unprofessional in the handling of the investigation and accepting a bribe to cover-up the matter, has destroyed his standing reputation as a police officer both in the local and international communities.
He too is demanding a public apology from Bascom as well as monetary damages within seven days and should he fail to comply, he could be liable to pay more than $50M in damages.
Bascom has since made another Facebook live assuring that he stands by the allegations he had made because they are true. He even said that he is in possession of evidence to back-up his statements.
Meanwhile, an investigation is ongoing into the brutal murder of Fagundes which was committed on March 21, last year outside the popular Palm Court night club. That evening Fagundes and his close friend, Roger Khan were together sharing a few drinks with other acquaintances at the Main Street, Georgetown night spot. He had stepped out of the establishment to move a pick-up closer to the establishment’s entrance but as he was heading to the vehicle, two men emerged from a white tinted Toyota fielder wagon and riddled him with bullets from semi automatic pistols. After he dropped dead, they escaped in the waiting car.
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