BAKR ORDERED KILLING

Those were the words alleged to have come from Jamaat al Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr which have led to the charge of conspiracy to commit murder being brought against him by the State.

Yesterday, lead prosecutor Sir Timothy Cassell QC opened the State’s case before Justice Mustapha Ibrahim and a nine-member jury in the Port-of-Spain Third Criminal Court by outlining the events that led to Bakr being charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

Bakr, 65, of La Puerta Avenue, Diego Martin, is charged with conspiring on June 4, 2003 at Citrine Drive, Diamond Vale, Diego Martin with David “Buffy” Millard and others to murder former Jamaat members Salim Rasheed and Zaki Aubidah. The conspiracy was allegedly the start of the events that would culminate with the shooting of Rasheed and the death of Gilla Bowen at Movietowne, Mucurapo, on the night of June 4, 2003. Bowen was shot in the head and arm.

In Cassell’s opening statement he created a sweeping picture of the sequence of events that occurred up to, on and after the fatal shooting.

The court heard how on June 4, 2003, Bakr ordered Millard and Brent “Big Brent” Miller to kill Rasheed and Aubidah.

Cassell said that there was “obvious bad blood” between the accused and the two former members of the Jamaat. Aubidah, who was Bakr’s son-in-law, had left the Jamaat, while Rasheed, who had had a falling out with the organisation, had been expelled.

The two men, the court heard, later appeared on a radio phone-in programme on Power 102FM in which Bakr rang in and levelled accusations, “shouting and losing his temper with (them).” Bakr allegedly accused the men of being guilty of a crime against Islam and said that they would receive strokes as punishment.

“It was only a few days later that Abu Bakr ordered Buffy and Big Brent to kill the two men,” the court heard.

On the night of June 4 — Cassell said — Bakr ordered Millard and Miller to “find out where Salim (Rasheed) and Zaki (Aubidah) were sleeping” and stated that “he wanted them dead.”

After Bakr had left, another member of the Jamaat, under the name of Dwight, was recruited to carry out the execution. Miller informed this person that, “the shot is Salim and Zaki.”

“It is sanctioned from the top. You go pick the team and I go let you know what is the scene.”

The court heard how Rasheed and Bowen were sitting on a bench at Movietowne when a car slowly pulled up. Six shots — at least — were then fired.

After the events Bakr allegedly informed Miller that he should not worry as he was going to see the Prime Minister and the Commissioner of Police whom he claimed he had “influence” over.

“I tell all of you about Salim already. When a man wants to dead he does do anything,” Bakr allegedly added.

After Millard and Miller were arrested Bakr reportedly visited Miller again, assuring him that he was not to worry as he was going to “work it out with Salim.”

Salim Rasheed later retracted his identification of Miller, whom he had first claimed was in the car from which the shots were fired.

Cassell went on to describe Bakr’s reaction to being arrested for conspiracy. Bakr allegedly described the charge as “a joke” and said that Rasheed was “one of his children.”

He said he had taken Rasheed off the streets but he had turned out to become “an embarrassment to the Jamaat” and had been dismissed.

“If you are in the Jamaat you have a certain amount of protection...A lot of people come into the Jamaat for protection,” Bakr allegedly said.

Cassell pointed out to the jury, “It is for you... to say what is meant by ‘protection.’”

Cassell turned to Bakr’s alibi. Bakr, he said, claimed that he did not remember where he was on June 4, 2003, but he assumed that he had gone to work at Petrotrin.

However, Cassell hinted that this alibi was unsound. Cassell concluded by informing the jury that the burden of proof lay with the prosecution. He implored them to find Bakr guilty if they were sure of his guilt. The matter will continue today when the State is expected to begin its presentation of witnesses.

If Bakr is convicted of conspiracy he stands to face a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment.