The case surrounding the death of tech CEO Fahim Saleh continues to unfold in court.
According to The New York Post, Saleh’s assistant Tyrese Haspil is on trial for allegedly beheading Saleh. On Friday, Haspil’s attorney argued he killed Saleh in a crime of passion, claiming he experienced “extreme emotional disturbance.”
Haspil had stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars from Saleh, the CEO of Nigeria-based motorbike startup Gokada, Business Insider reports. The defense said he killed Saleh because he was worried that his girlfriend would find out he stole the money and abandon him.
Saleh confronted Haspil about $90,000 missing from an account in January 2020, New York Post reports. He decided not to press charges against Haspil, having seen the younger man as a protege. Instead, he designed a payment plan for Haspil to pay him back.
The prosecution says Haspil continued to steal money and was eventually caught again. They argued he then began researching how to get away with murder.
Saleh was beheaded and dismembered on July 13, 2020. Last week, the jury listened to the 911 call from Saleh’s cousin who discovered his body in his Lower Eastside apartment, Business Insider reports.
The prosecution’s case will continue next week.
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