Unsatisfied with the investigation of Sideek Juman’s murder, his family has taken the unusual step of offering a reward for information that could lead to his killer(s) being brought to justice.
The Blankenburg, West Coast Demerara mechanic was found dead last November and relatives say that there are many unanswered questions regarding his death.
Juman’s body was fished out of a pool at Double Day Hotel at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) on November 19, 2012, a day after he had been hanging out there with two friends.
A post-mortem examination proved that he died from asphyxiation and that “blunt trauma to head” also contributed significantly to his death.
His friends, a male and female, both in their early 20s, were arrested as was another man, who was said to be the main suspect. Police have told the family that the investigations have been completed and that the report was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.
Juman’s relatives strongly believe that he was murdered and they are now offering a substantial reward to persons who can provide information leading to the prosecution of whoever is responsible. The family can be reached at 688-5273.
Juman’s mother, Farida Juman, told Stabroek News that she would not be able to rest until justice is obtained for the death of her only son, who was buried the day when he would have turned 21.
She said although two months have elapsed since her son’s death, the horrible memories of his demise are still fresh on her mind. She and his two sisters are still grieving a lot.
A relative of Juman, who wished not to be named, told this newspaper that he believed Juman was “lured” to the hotel. He had gone to visit his grandmother at Ruby, EBE, when he received a call to go to the poolside.
Another friend, a taxi driver, related that he left the poolside at 8 pm and had offered to give Juman a “drop home” but he said he was not ready to go and that his two friends would drop him home.
However, after his body was discovered, the two people told investigators that they left the place before 8 pm. They also gave conflicting reports on their whereabouts. The male claimed that he had gone to town with a “foreigner [a Spanish man],” while the woman told investigators that “she spent the night with the same foreigner at the hotel. They saying that the foreigner left the country the next morning,” the relative explained.
The relative said he went to the hotel and tried to verify the information that the female had given but “the owner said he don’t keep [such] records.”
The hotel officials said they checked the pool the night before the body was discovered but “it was clear.” The relative said after the murder he went to the hotel during the night and checked the pool and there was proper lighting. He also said it was a mystery that Juman’s Blackberry cell phone and his clothing he had removed before taking a dip, were missing.
The next day, he said, when the body was found, it was in an upright position and “it looked fresh as though it was not in the water for too long.”
Relatives also learnt that “someone used his phone to text another person in Bartica.”
The relative said his female friend was “saying to people that she knows the killer” but that it seems as though she was not willing to help the police to crack the case.
He said too that other people have information but it seems as though “they are afraid to come forward because the [main] suspect has good connections.”
Reports are that Juman had witnessed the main suspect pulling out a gun and shooting a man who was hanging out at the poolside with his girlfriend. Sources told this newspaper that the man got angry and hit the suspect with a bottle and he retaliated by firing at him.
The matter was subsequently settled between the victim and the suspect. After that incident, the suspect had also claimed that Juman, who was giving out information, was “talking too much.”
