Three men were acquitted on Thursday of robbery and murder charges related to a 2020 incident in Experiment, West Coast Berbice, where 49-year-old Mohamed Haniff was killed.
Royston Dowden, Ivan Lindo, and Devon McCalmon had been in custody since the incident, during which Haniff was severely beaten and chopped in his home.
The 12-member jury concluded that the prosecution failed to prove the charges.
They were defended by attorneys Kevin Morgan, Horatio Edmonson, Vinay Punwa and Chandra Sohan, while State Prosecutor Cicela Corbin represented the prosecution.
During the trial, the State’s case included video evidence allegedly showing the defendants approaching Haniff’s home, with State Prosecutor Cicela Corbin claiming they entered with the intent to rob, demanding $8,000, and resorting to violence when Haniff refused.
Key testimony came from Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh, who confirmed Haniff’s cause of death as shock and hemorrhage from severe injuries. Bibi Zarifa Haniff, the victim’s wife, also testified that three men invaded their home, assaulted her husband, and demanded money.
However, the prosecution’s case faced challenges during cross-examination by defense attorney Chandra Sohan. Sohan highlighted inconsistencies in Bibi Zarifa’s testimony, revealing that she had purchased Valium on the day of the incident, suggesting she might have influenced her husband’s condition prior to the attack. The defense argued that nothing valuable was stolen from the home, as cash and jewelry were later recovered by police, thus undermining the robbery motive.
All three defendants recounted differing versions of the event, with one suggesting Haniff was already injured upon his arrival at the house, creating further doubt about the State’s narrative. In a controversial twist, suspicion had initially fallen on Bibi Zarifa herself, who faced inquiries due to alleged financial issues, including pawning the family home without her husband’s consent; however, lack of evidence resulted in her release.
After hearing closing arguments, the jury deliberated for about two hours before delivering unanimous not-guilty verdicts, leading to the immediate release of the three men, who had faced severe penalties, including potential life sentences or death.
