Three men accused of killing an elderly rice-farming couple on the East Bank Essequibo (EBE) in 2016 have been arraigned before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow at the Demerara High Court on Wednesday, October 4, 2023.
Joel Blair; Shamudeen Mohamed, also known as “Milo”; and Jason Howard, also known as “Smelly”, are accused of murdering Mohamed Munir and his wife Bibi Munir on April 17, 2016 at Good Hope, EBE during the course of arson in relation to a dwelling house.
After the joint murder charge was read to them, each of these defendants entered a not-guilty plea. Their trial commenced on Wednesday morning with a voir dire.
These three accused are being defended by a group of attorneys under the direction of Nigel Hughes. Senior State Counsel Nafeeza Baig and other State counsel are the prosecutors.
Former well-known rice growers Mohamed Munir (75) and his wife Bibi Munir (69) were locked in their bedroom when a break-in attempt was made on their heavily-grilled house on April 17, 2026. The elderly couple, who were reportedly asleep, were awakened by noises, and were later ordered out of their bedroom by several males.
However, after the couple failed to comply with those orders, the perpetrators set a sofa in the home alight after tossing a fuel cylinder into the house, and that caused a huge explosion that set the house on fire, even as they then made good their escape.
Attempts by neighbours to rescue the couple, who were heard and seen screaming for help from a grilled window of their home, proved futile.
Their charred remains were discovered together after the blaze was doused.
