Death sentence for daughter and hitman in businessman’s murder

L-R Hitman Linden Lewis, Murdered businessman Habioodean and his daughter who arranged his murder.. Bibi Nazeela Habiboodean

The daughter of murdered Ruby businessman Habiboodean and the man she hired to kill him were both found guilty of murder by a jury when their trial ended on Friday at the Demerara High Court.

As a consequence, they were each sentenced to death for the gruesome killing by Justice Sandil Kissoon.

Bibi Nazeela Habiboodean and Linden Lewis called ‘Bullet’ were jointly charged with the businessman’s murder which occurred between February 14 and 15, 2008. When their trial commenced about a month ago, they had both pleaded not guilty to the charge when they appeared at the Demerara High Court

Despite the verdicts, Lewis professed his innocence to the court. In fact, the convicted killer told the jurors, “With all due respect members of the jury, to be honest with yall, I know yall is just human beings. And yall seh y’all find me guilty. I still telling y’all me ain’t do nothing. To be honest with y’all me ain’t get a fair trial. I gon left everything in the hands of God. Dus all I gah she.”

“I am innocent of this offence,” Bibi said in her address. In his sentencing remarks, Justice Kissoon noted that Bibi who was motivated by greed and a desire for further financial wealth commanded Lewis to inflict injuries on her elderly father to compel him to sign over certain assets to her.

Throughout the trial, Bibi was represented by Attorney-at-law Trenton Lake, while Attorney-at-law Latchmie Rahamat appeared for Lewis. Senior State Counsel Lisa Cave led the prosecution’s case.

Habiboodean, 76, of Lot 111 Ruby, East Bank Essequibo died at a private city hospital on February 15, 2008, one day after he was badly beaten at his home.

According to reports, nothing was taken from the man’s home, neither was it ransacked. Family members, at the time, suspected that the man was killed because of a family feud.