Businessman, employee get life sentence for trader’s murder

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From left: Basheer Harrinauth, Delroy Fraser (now deceased) and Dennis Veerasammy
From left: Basheer Harrinauth, Delroy Fraser (now deceased) and Dennis Veerasammy

A Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) businessman and one of his employees were handed life sentences for killing a Crabwood Creek, Corentyne trader back in 2015.

The sentences were handed down by Justice Jo-Ann Barlow at the Berbice Assizes.

Dennis Veerasammy and his employee, Basheer Harrinauth, both of Crabwood Creek, along with another of Veerasammy’s employees, Delroy Fraser, were recently found guilty of killing Shameer Ali Mursalin on October 24, 2015, at his Crabwood Creek home.
During the three-week trial last month, the jury found that Veerasammy, Harrinauth and Fraser shot and killed Mursalin.

On Thursday, before handing down the sentence, Justice Barlow announced that the number three accused, Fraser has since died. In deciding on the penalty of a life sentence, Justice Barlow noted that she took into account the seriousness of the offence, which included the taking of life from the society, the accused resorting to violence to settle a dispute, and the fact that a firearm was used to commit the act.

Justice Barlow also announced that the number three accused, Fraser has since died.

The prosecution’s case was that Veerasammy and Mursalin had an ongoing feud and on October 24, 2015, Mursalin’s lifeless body was discovered with a gunshot wound to his head lying in a pool of blood at his home. It was alleged that Mursalin had shared a relationship with the wife of one of the accused.

The State presented 11 witnesses to prove its case with the key witness, Ricky Profit, relating that he witnessed the execution-style killing.

Throughout the three-week trial, the trio maintained their innocence, stating that they had alibis for the time of the shooting.

The jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty.

The State was represented by Attorney Sita Bishundial and State Counsel Tuanna Hardy.
Attorney-at-Law Brandon DeSantos represented Veerasammy while Attorney-at-Law Chandra Sohan represented Harrinauth and Fraser.

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