Attorney-at-law Mr. Vic Puran, appearing for the two men charged with the brutal killing of 14-year-old orphan Raheem Abdool, made the allegation yesterday, during the second appearance of the accused before Acting Chief Magistrate Juliet Holder-Allen.

Nazir Hamid, of Lot 51 Russell and Evans Streets, Charlestown and Yusuf Rahaman, of Lot 84 Garnett Street, Newtown, are alleged to have unlawfully killed Abdool, who lived at the institution in Alexander Street, Kitty, also in Georgetown, between December 16 and 17, 2002.

Hamid is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the orphanage and Manager of Rahaman's spare parts shop in Russell Street while Rahaman, himself a former inmate of the Kitty hospice is employed by Hamid.

The victim’s partly decomposed body, with multiple marks of violence, was discovered along the Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara railway embankment, after he was reported missing and the circumstances of his death sparked a public outcry, including from leading members of the Muslim community.

Police said then it appeared that the lad had been severely beaten and there was speculation that the beating occurred while he was being questioned about the disappearance of a sum of money from the hostel.

But Puran told the Court yesterday that the two charged with the capital offence are innocent of the crime and are being kept in custody unlawfully.

Defence Counsel said the reason for their continued incarceration is because “others are trying to get access to the wealth from the orphanage”.

According to him, a $5M cheque was forged “by persons unknown” and it is all part of the plot to keep Hamid and Rahaman, who are on remand, in jail.