At about 08:30hrs today (Tuesday), police ranks arrested the suspect involved in the alleged murder of 45-year-old Bibi Shazida Hanif at Samaroo Dam, West Bank Demerara.
The ranks, based on the information received, proceeded to No. 66 Public Road in Corentyne, Berbice, where they conducted a stop-and-search exercise on motor car PZZ 3660.
The vehicle was at the time driven by Abdul Jameer True, a 29-year-old resident of Parika, East Bank Essequibo.
The murder suspect, Martin True, a 53-year-old resident of Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, was observed seated in the back (rear) seat. He was informed of the allegation, arrested, cautioned, and escorted to the Springlands Police Station. He will be escorted to the Regional Police Division 3 pending further investigation.
Martin True is accused of murdering his ex-wife Bibi Shazida Hanif, a cleaner attached to Rapid Oil Field at Halliburton, Garden of Eden, East Bank Essequibo and of Lot 1 Samaroo Dam, West Bank Demerara, between 04:44 hrs and 05:25 hrs this morning (Tuesday) at Lot 1 Samaroo Dam, West Bank Demerara.
Enquiries disclosed that the woman lived with her 18-year-old son, who is spending time in Berbice with his father.
According to Hayden Xavier, a 44-year-old Trinidadian and an Inspector attached to Rapid Oil Field at Halliburton, Garden of Eden, he had known the now-deceased woman for over two years. Sometime in March of this year, they started sharing an intimate relationship since her reputed husband (Martin True) and she separated.
Xavier further stated that the now-deceased woman used to reside with him at Red Road, Providence, East Bank Demerara and about two weeks ago, she left his home and returned to her home at Lot 1 Samaroo Dam, West Bank Demerara, and would visit his home from time to time.
He further said that the company bus would normally collect the woman from Samaroo Dam every morning at 05:00 hrs and take her to Providence Public Road, then he would collect her with his motor car and take her to the workplace.
It is alleged that at about 04:44 hrs today, the victim called Hayden Xavier via cellphone and asked him to pick her up at her residence at Samaroo Dam because she would be late for work, and he agreed.
Xavier claimed that about twenty minutes after he made a call to Hanif on her cellphone while he was on the Demerara Harbour Bridge, Martin True answered her phone, and said “I now fix she deh”.
As a result, Xavier went to Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station and reported the matter before going to the home.
Police arrived on the scene and saw the victim lying motionless, in a pool of blood, on the floor next to her bed. The body was examined by the police, and two stab wounds were seen on her back. The body was then escorted to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where it was seen and examined by a doctor on duty, who pronounced her dead on arrival. The body is at Ezekiel Funeral Home, awaiting a Post-Mortem Examination.
