Man released on time served in 2015 killing of mall owner

(Freed: Fazeel Bacchus; Murdered: Ganesh Ramlall)

A Judge’s decision has effectively freed the man who admitted to killing 48–year-old businessman Ganesh Ramlall on July 5, 2015. It has been almost seven years since the businessman was murdered, and last week, former taxi driver 25-year-old Fazeel Bacchus confessed to killing the father of one.

When the case came up at the Demerara High Court for trial, Bacchus, who was represented by lawyer Mark Conway, was indicted for the capital offence of murder. Prosecutors Attorneys-at-Law Konyo Sandiford and Narissa Leander, however, accepted a guilty plea to the lesser count of manslaughter from him.

In the end, the confessed killer was sentenced to six and a half years in prison by Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall. Big Smith News Watch understands that the judge’s starting point was set at 18 years from which deductions were made for among other things, early guilty plea and time spent in pre-trial detention.

After those deductions were made, the convict’s final sentence stood at six and a half years. Bacchus has been on remand since July 2015, so the Judge’s decision means that he will be released from prison by today (Tuesday, March 01, 2022) on time served as his sentence is fully satisfied by his previous time spent in custody awaiting trial.

Ganesh Ramlall called “Boyo”, who was the owner of the popular Regent Multiplex Mall at Regent Street, Georgetown, and other businesses, was shot and killed after bandits invaded his La Jalousie, West Coast Demerara (WCD) home.

He had just returned home and went to use the outside bathroom when he was confronted by four men who shot him about his body and took away his licensed firearm, jewellery, and a wallet before escaping. He was later pronounced dead on arrival at the West Demerara Regional Hospital.