Five persons have been arrested as investigations continue into the alleged murder of Munaf Azeez, a 26-year-old fisherman of Sea View, Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara, which occurred at about 08:00hrs yesterday.
According to preliminary reports, five men at around 07:55hrs yesterday approached Azeez at the Anna Catherina Sea Wall and accused him of chopping up their seine. One of the men was armed with a cutlass while another was armed with a knife.
An argument ensued and the suspect armed with the knife dealt Azeez one stab to his lower, right-side chest. Azeez ran a short distance before collapsing to the ground. The suspects all ran in different directions and fled the scene.
However, one of the suspects, a 28-year-old fisherman (and owner of several fishing boats) of Sea Dam, Parika, ran towards his car (Registration # PLL 4734), which was parked on the Anna Catherina Sea View Dam.
As he was approaching his car, a mobile patrol which was in the area, arrested him, after which he pointed out the other persons involved in the attack.
Simultaneously, relatives of Azeez picked him up and placed him in the police vehicle. He was rushed to the Leonora Cottage Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival (at 08:40hrs) by Doctor Ron Chetram. The body bore one wound to the lower right chest and two small cuts to the lower back of his left arm.
The body was photographed and then escorted to Ezekiel Funeral Parlour. A post mortem examination is scheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday 12th April 2023).
Additionally, irate residents of the neighbourhood threw the suspect’s car (PLL 4734) into a nearby gutter and set it on fire. The car was destroyed. The five suspects are currently in police custody as investigations continue.
