Bakr’s accuser shot deadBy FRANCIS JOSEPH Saturday, December 29 2007
SALIM RASHEED, better known as “Small Salim”, escaped death nine times. But yesterday morning, his luck ran out as he was gunned down in broad daylight in a playing field at Seventh Avenue, Malick, Barataria.
Rasheed, an expelled member of the Jamaat Al Muslimeen, was a colourful character, who according to the police, was a hired assassin involved in kidnapping and drug trafficking.
Rasheed who was shot several times in the past lived through all to boast to friends and family of his deadly encounters. He shot into the limelight when he appeared as a prosecution witness against Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr on a charge of conspiracy to murder.
Rasheed was leaving Movie Towne on the night of June 4, 2003, with Adil Ghany and his common-law wife Jilla Bowen, when a car pulled up and shots were fired.
Bowen was fatally wounded, but Ghany and Rasheed suffered only injuries. Arising out of that shooting, Bakr and David “Buffy” Maillard were charged with conspiracy to murder Rasheed and one Zaki Aubidah.
At the first trial in 2005, Rasheed identified another state witness Brent “Big Brent” Miller and Maillard as occupants of the car at Movie Towne, but the jury failed to arrive at a verdict. At the second trial in 2006, several witnesses including Rasheed, “lost” their memories, causing the cases against Bakr and Maillard to collapse.
Rasheed’s brushes with death started in 2003. He was shot at while driving his Mercedes Benz car along Mucurapo Road, St James. He escaped that assassination attempt. On another occasion, he was shot and wounded by an AK-47 assault rifle suffering permanent injury which affected his gait and he walked with a “hop and drop”.
After he recanted his testimony against Bakr and Maillard, Rasheed was held by the police with a loaded firearm in Tunapuna. That case is still pending in the Tunapuna Magistrates’ Court. Police revealed that Rasheed and several persons were involved in extortion and kidnapping in west Trinidad. He was also accused of demanding money to “protect” people. His luck ran out yesterday.
According to reports, at about 11.30 am, Rasheed was walking through a playing field at Seventh Avenue, Malick, when a man approached and called his name. As Rasheed looked around and responded to the call, the man whipped out a gun and fired several shots.
Rasheed was shot several times and died on the spot. A report was made to the police who responded within minutes, finding Rasheed’s body on the grass on the field. There were several persons in the area when Rasheed was shot, but they have not come forward to assist the police.
Rasheed, who was expelled by Bakr from the Jamaat in 2003, listed himself as a jeweler and a construction supervisor.
The death of the former Jamaat man has caused the police to increase patrols in certain areas in anticipation of reprisal killings.
