Mohamed sues Bascom for implicating him in ‘Paper Shorts’ murder

Aug 31, 2022 News

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Kaieteur News – Prominent businessman, Azruddin Mohamed has filed a lawsuit claiming in excess of $200 million worth in damages from Police Sergeant Dion Bascom for implicating him in the murder of Ricardo Fagundes called ‘Paper Shorts’.

Fagundes, also known as ‘Paper Shorts’, 42, a gold miner and biker of Kitty, Georgetown was gunned down outside a popular Night Club on Main Street, Georgetown in March 2021.

At the time of his death, Fagundes and his close friend, Roger Khan, were together sharing a few drinks with other acquaintances at the night spot in the capital city.

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 using high powered weapons and escaped in the waiting car afterwards.

According to the lawsuit filed by Mohamed’s attorney, Naresh Poonai, Mohamed is seeking more than $100M in damages for defamation as well as exemplary, punitive and/or aggravated damages in excess of $100M.

He is also asking the High Court to restrain the cop from uttering, repeating, posting, printing, sharing and otherwise disseminating the defamatory content, as well as a mandatory injunction compelling him to forthwith permanently remove the Facebook posts.

According to the lawsuit, the lawyer described Mr. Mohamed as a well-respected businessman widely popular and well-known for his philanthropic efforts as he supports multiple charities, not-for-profit organisations, events, and Guyanese who are in need of financial assistance relating to social, economic or medical hardship.

As such, Poonai claimed that, the cop’s utterances are untrue, false, disingenuous, malicious, irrational, unfair, unsubstantiated, unfounded and baseless.

He said that statements were made with the sole intent of tarnishing and lowering his client’s reputation and causing great embarrassment, psychological trauma, emotional distress, and public humiliation.

The lawsuit follows weeks after Sergeant Bascom was sent a legal letter of demand, calling on him to retract the first statement, apologise, and pay compensation. According to Mohamed, the police rank went on to make other offending words, utterances and statements about him.

Bascom had posted videos on Facebook on August 11, 12, 13 and 19 –shortly after he was arrested by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) in relation to cocaine found in a house at Norton Street, Georgetown and later released – accusing the businessman and senior police officers of a massive cover-up in the investigation into the execution of Fagundes.

On August 12, last, on behalf of Mohamed, Poonai by way of a lawyer’s letter 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. The letter had threatened that if Bascom failed to comply, he would be sued for more than $25M in damages.

However instead of yielding to the demands, Bascom 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. The policeman has since retained the services of popular attorney, Nigel Hughes, who has since written to the President requesting that he be granted witness protection.

On Tuesday, Hughes through his law firm, Hughes, Fields and Stoby renewed his call for Bascom to be placed in witness protection. In a letter dated August 30, 2022, Hughes, Fields and Stoby wrote to President Irfaan Ali requesting that he intervenes in order to save the life of the policeman.

Referencing his previous request for Bascom to benefit from the witness protection services made on August 15, last, the attorney noted that Bascom is now facing increased jeopardy.

“Our client responding to the public statements of the Commissioner of Police that the Office of Professional Responsibility was awaiting a statement from him, last week submitted a statement to the OPR. The statement included details about the events and information which our client had documented,” the letter reads.  It continues, “We have read about the visit to Guyana of the [Regional Security System] RSS Team who have not sought any information or assistance from our client…Our client is on medical leave and is deeply concerned about his and his family’s personal safety.”

As such, Hughes noted that his law firm was instructed to repeat the request for the provision of “witness protection” for Bascom.

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