Third suspect charged with Ruby businessman’s murder

A third suspect was yesterday charged with the murder of Habiboodean, the elderly Ruby, East Bank Essequibo businessman who was fatally beaten in his home eight years ago.

Three days after police charged two suspects, Bibi Nazeela Habiboodean, the businessman’s daughter, and Linden Lewis, called “Bullet,” 28, of Tuschen, the alleged hitman she hired to commit the crime, Michael London, a pork-knocker of Tuschen Housing Scheme was faced with the murder charge before Magistrate Rochelle Liverpool at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court.

The court heard that on February 14th, 2008, he murdered Habiboodean, 76.  He was not required to plead and was remanded to prison until June 21st, the same date that the two other accused are also expected to return.

London was wanted for questioning in connection with the murder after Lewis allegedly implicated him.

According to reports, he received information that he was wanted and he travelled from Mahdia, where he was engaged in gold mining, and turned himself over to the police on Tuesday in company of his relatives. Reports are that eight years ago, Habiboodean was attacked and severely beaten in his home. He succumbed the following day while being treated at the Woodlands Hospital.  Bibi Nazeela and another individual, Terry Lewton, had been charged with the murder.

It had been alleged that Lewton murdered Habiboodean, while Bibi Nazeela counselled, procured and commanded him to commit the crime.

Less than a year later, they were freed after then Magistrate Fazil Azeez, sitting at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court, had ruled that a prima facie case had not been made out against them.

Lewis was one of the five persons who had been arrested for questioning in relation to the recent murders of Good Hope rice farmers Mohamed and Jamilla Munir. Lewis was grilled by investigators in relation to the murder of Habiboodean and police say he has confessed that he was the hit-man and subsequently implicated Nazeela as the plotter. She turned herself into the police last Tuesday in company of her lawyer.