Man wanted in connection with ‘Aunty Betty’ murder arrested

Dec 06, 2022 News

…denies involvement

Kaieteur News – Police have arrested Mohamed Ramzan also known as ‘Bhagee’ who was wanted in connection with the brutal murder of Sumintra Sawh called ‘Aunty Betty’ of Bushlot Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB).

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed that the 48-year-old man was arrested on December 3, 2022 in Bushlot Village, WCD. The man has since denied any involvement in the murder of Sawh. Ramzan has since provided an alibi which is being checked by police.

Roshnie Basdeo, Sawh’s great niece had confessed to the crime and was on Friday remanded to prison until December 14, 2022 when she appeared at the Weldaad Magistrates’ Court.

Sawh of Lot 131 Section ‘B’ Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice (WCB) was found lying face up and battered on her bed with blood stains about her body. A post mortem examination conducted on Sawh revealed that she died from asphyxia, seven stab wounds to the face and head, shock, haemorrhage and a fractured skull.

Mohamed Ramzan aka ‘Bhagee’

Basdeo had initially told police that she arrived at the deceased’s home at about 16:45h on Sunday and at about 19:00h, she and Sawh retired to bed. She told police that Sawh slept in the front bedroom while she slept in the back bedroom of the two-storey wooden and concrete house.

She claimed that she was awakened by an unidentified male, who held a knife to her throat and demanded money at about 03:00h on Monday. Basdeo said the man removed her from the bedroom she was sleeping in. While outside, she said she noticed another man with Sawh in the front bedroom. The woman said she was taken to the lower flat of the house and tied to a chair with a sling. While there she said, she heard Sawh yelling, “Don’t kill me granddaughter”.

Shortly thereafter, the unidentified man who was with Sawh appeared in the lower flat and both men searched the flat before making good their escape.

After their exit, Basdeo said she untied herself and ran to the upper flat of the house and saw Sawh laying motionless on her bed in a pool of blood.

The woman told police that Sawh’s handbag where she kept all her money, pension book and other important documents was missing from the bedroom.

The following day, Basdeo’s story changed. She then told police that she colluded with Sawh’s neighbour, 48-year-old Shaeed Mohamed Ramzan, to steal the woman’s $350,000 savings to purchase a motor scooter while she would by virtue of her relationship with the woman, covet the house.

Basdeo, who was Sawh’s caretaker, told law investigators that she left Sawh’s door open so that he can gain entry to execute their plan. Sawh was sleeping when the man entered the upper flat of the house and Basdeo led him to the woman’s room and showed him her handbag which contained the money she was saving to build her fence.

The 37-year-old woman told police that Ramzan beat the elderly woman with an object. She claimed that she begged him to stop but he continued to pound the woman. After brutally killing Sawh, the neighbour left her room with the bag containing the money and reportedly scrambled Basdeo by the neck and cut her left hand.

Basdeo told police that the man threatened to kill her and the rest of her family if she revealed their plan to anyone. The GPF had issued a wanted bulletin for the man indicating that he was wanted in connection with Sawh’s murder. The man is yet to be found.

However, a few days later, she changed her story again, this time confessing to the murder. The woman said Sawh accused her of stealing her money and an argument ensued. Basdeo said she became angry and armed herself with a hammer and a piece of wood and dealt the elderly woman several lashes to her head until she became unconscious.

Basdeo said that she then used a razor to cut her hands and neck to make it look like she was assaulted during a robbery. The nightgown she was wearing was stained with blood and she removed it and placed it in a black plastic bag before dumping it in the pit latrine in the yard. The hammer was also dumped in the latrine while the piece of wood was thrown on a shed in the yard.

Investigators took her back to the scene and the nightgown, hammer, wood and razor blade were all recovered.