After being on the run for over one month, during which time he travelled to Trinidad and Tobago, Philemon Budhoo, called “Kevin,” was yesterday charged with the murder of Corentyne money changer Mohamed Fizal Mahmood Baksh.
The charge against Budhoo, 19, of Number 63 Village, Corentyne, stated that between December 21 and December 24, 2015, he murdered Baksh. He was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which was read to him by Magistrate Rabindranath Singh at the Springlands Magistrate’s Court.
The unrepresented defendant was remanded to prison and the matter was transferred to the Number 51 Village Magistrate’s Court for a hearing on February 10.
Baksh, 56, called ‘Sugar Cake,’ of Lot 5 Grant 1780 Crabwood Creek, went missing after he left his house sometime around 8.10 am on December 21, 2015, to change currency at Number 65 Village.
On the morning of December 24, his family’s worst fears were confirmed when his body was found on the foreshore at Number 63 Village, Corentyne. An autopsy gave the cause of death as haemorrhage and shock due to a fractured skull.
His brother, Mohamed Jaboor Baksh, had told Stabroek News that around 4 pm on December 21, his brother’s wife started to get worried as he had not returned home at the usual time.
The brother explained that a man, identified as Budhoo, who normally sold next to Baksh, had called him and told him about two foreigners who had some currency to change.
Baksh then went to Number 65 Village with the intention of doing business, since Budhoo had reportedly been calling him since the previous Saturday to carry out the transaction.
Budhoo was arrested on Wednesday and allegedly provided investigators with a detailed description of the crime, which he had reportedly planned because he was in debt and knew that Baksh usually had large sums of money on his person.
At Number 63 beach, the money changer was battered, robbed and left to die allegedly by Budhoo, who subsequently bought an airline ticket and left the country the following day.
