The Criminal Court has ruled that Adam Naseer of H. Reendhooge is innocent of dealing drugs, despite being labelled by the government as one of the country’s ‘top six’ drug dealers and a police investigation lasting nearly a year.
Police searched Naseer’s home in Addu Atoll on 30 June 2009, where they found over Rf6 million (US$461,500) in cash and a tin containing drugs outside his house.
He was later arrested in early July in Addu Atoll, but “he wasn’t in prison the whole time,” explained President’s Office Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair. “On several occasions the court has delayed his imprisonment until the hearing.”
Naseer’s arrest last year was a big break for the Prosecutor General’s office and the police, who had been leading an investigation and following Naseer for months.
Naseer had also been arrested in 2007 on drug dealing counts and later on counts of bribery and giving false information to the police, but he was released due to lack of evidence.
In his verdict, Judge Abdul Baary Yousuf said there was not enough evidence to prove the money had come from dealing drugs. He added that the drugs could have been placed outside Naseer’s house by anyone and did not necessarily belong to him.
Zuhair said Naseer “is still considered to be a top drug dealer. He was caught red-handed.”
He added that although the executive and legislative branches have been reformed with the change in government, “the justice system is still going the way it was in Gayoom’s time” and “many of the judges are sympathisers of Gayoom.”
Ahmed Adam, program coordinator for Journey, an NGO with a mission to help addicts maintain their recovery and to raise public awareness on drug issues, said “these people shouldn’t be on the streets. If they’re not behind bars, what will happen?”
“The judge should ask where all this money came from,” added Adam.
Only one witness claimed the drugs belonged to Naseer. Under Shari’ah law, there needs to be at least two witnesses to prove a person guilty, annulling the witness’s testimony.
Deputy Prosecutor General Hussein Shameen said “he should not released, but… the court has acquitted him.”
Prosecutor General Ahmed Muizzu said he had no comment on Naseer’s release, but added that his office would “appeal [the case] to the High Court.”
Two of the ‘top six’ have now fled the country. police are still investigating the remaining three suspects.
President Nasheed has previously said that while the government knows the identities of the top six drug dealers, their arrests would appear politically motivated as they included political opponents.
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By 'political opponents', do you mean Yaameen?
OMFG... "not enough evidence" my ass... the so called "judge" Abdul Baree must be locked-up in a cell with Adam Naseeru.
maldives justice system is f&&king joke. unbelievable.
President Nasheed, if you are serious about reform for this country, the first order of business is to appoint new judges and revamp the whole court system! Why should the police bother catching criminals when they are only going to be released at the end?! This is UNBELIEVABLE! Makes one wonder just how involved these judges are in these cases! Who knows what benefits they are getting really!
,President talk last friday about Shariah law hehehe this is good demonstration.very big shame for criminal court.very dirty decision.and because this decision many youths become to new drugs addict. judge Abdul Baary Yousuf and team they 100% muslim?it is demonstration of Shariath law?do you think judge believe in God?hehehe even drugs lord is Holy man and innocent.
Someone should check this judge's bank account...
hehe .. yes the poor and incompetent police DEU could manage to catch only one drug dealer within this one and half year but the f...king judge let him free ... next year hopefully the DEU will catch the third guy .. lol but the statistics show last year they caught more than 500 hundred drug addicts .. and some peddlers .. the whole system is upside down
ofcourse the witness testimony. are we not proud of the the sharia:)
How can Minivan news get the right to judge this person is a drug dealer as their heading on this article, Of course he is alleged for this crime, but after investigation and trail by rule of court and law he is been found innocent.The constitution say evry one is equal under the law and everyone is innocent unless proven guilty, So why we have to write everything against our legal system, even a laymen can understand the decision taken by the judge is right on the basis of evidence on this case.
Shameful day for Maldivian justice system.
In my view this person cannot be labeled innocent as allegedly only one witness testified against him. I understand there is one witness in addition to forensic evidence against him.
The circumstances leading to the release of this person must be investigated and action must be taken against any party found to be guilty. I urge public vigilance against this person and the judge who released him.
should check on the judges ethics.. maybe he is involved in the dealings even. you never know. should investigate him and remove these judges from the system. and the people should make their voices herd on these situations.
If Minivannews knew that he was a drug dealer why didn't it provide evidence to the trial.
This is what happens when u give a knife to a blind man. The justice system sucks realli... It is hopeless.
The old culture of bribery still goes on among the Maldivian judges. Some of these fellows are notorious for that. While v talk about the corruption among top government officials, y r ppl so afraid to talk about these stuff?
It is unbelievable how the judge reached his conclusion yet what strikes me most is the incompetency of the MPS and the PG office. Why was the video evidence not put forward or why didn't the Police take fingerprints and try to prove the link between the suspect and the money. The burden is always on the prosecutors to prove that he is guilty in this case they only relied on one witness. Why did the PG office go to court without the evidence. one whole year of investigation and all they got was a lousy one witness. One year and he walks free.... Bribery and corruption comes when the authorities are dumb and cannot make a case out of someone caught red handed and with tons of cash.
gazis, most corrupted bastards in the country.
Stewie..if there was REAL Sharia law in Maldives you know what will happen..blasphemous people like you will have to say tata to your HEAD!
I think Minivan News should bring this as an investigative, pensive news article.
After reading I was wondering, as I don't know police had given forensic evidence too, that if there was really lack of proof, can't it be a case that has purposefully undermined the police, so that it will appear like what it is now. Of course, 6million Rufiyaa is substantial but apart from that.
Who knows whats with police like we are assuming the judges are of this "nature". So we should be think be doing more critical thinking on this case, because the broad picture might be very different.
The flaw is in the broken legal system itself, which allowed a criminal to pass.
One would hope this is a wake up call to fix the system. But are the police, the home Ministry and the judges competent and professional enough..
Can the system be fixed with the on going political bickering, blaming and finger pointing...
Adam Naseer is grateful to our politicians for keeping Maldives a lawless haven for criminals..... he may even donate some money to MDP and DRP... or even join MDP for salvation.
Could we see Adam Naseer as a political appointee..? With 5 million Rf, you never know,..
Whatever happened to all the NGO's and political parties protesting against alcohol. Shouldn't they be outside the judges house demanding justice.
And someone really should check the judges bank account. If I were the president I would declare emergency and try the six people in military courts.
Now I strongly suspect this is a gimmick and a ploy, played by the government to boost MDP support during parliamentary election, because then President Nasheed announce soon 6 drug loads will be arrested, after some time this guy has been framed may be.If they have such strong evidence , why cant they arrest him on red hand.Don't blame on our legal system, this is a trap MDP entangled by themselves now.
It's clear that the country is held ransom by these evil purveyors of illegal and destructive drugs. If the system is too sick to deal with them, then maybe we would be better to go for a simpler solution. We need to protect our children from obvious criminal monsters such as this thing as well as the corrupt and outdated Maumoonian legal system.
30 year of 'simply not true' unless it affected him and his dreadful cronies has left us almost without law and order. Let's start to honestly deal with this corruption and get our kids clean and safe while some of them still have a future to look forward to.
It's time to ask our Government, Majlis and above all the so-called judiciary, Are you with us or against us?
If they answer against then we know what to do next, get rid!
Law and corruption in Maldives ?
Is the rule for politicians
This guy was brought before him for selling drugs!
He did not have any when he appeared in court! So how could one say he sells?
In Sharia' or what ever law, evidence must be there!
In this case alarmingly there was no evidence at all!
And it is true! This guy when he appeared in court he had no drugs on him for sale!
Normally in a place where things are bought and sold, the item physical is there! But in this case, there was no evidence for the right honourable judge!
Without two witnesses, or physical evidence, it would not be possible for a right honourable judge to find an innocent man guilty! No way!
Hail the justice system of the Maldives and hail the right honourable judges who are doing just the right thing for the sake of the nation and human kind!
Hail the learned and the protesting sheikhs for saving the nation in the nick of time from falling into hellfire, by totally banning ALCOHOL, mother of all evil from coming onto the holy island where 100% Muslims live!
Despite all these it still tickles me and question myself; where has the 6 plus million Rufiya there in the thelhi folhey kothalhu ended up!
Ummm Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
All is part of a ploy to get all of us defocuused from the stressing problems the country face.....Good propaganda machine in action by the Mr. President....
If this guy should be sentenced just because they found a tin can with illicit substance, then shouldn't reeko be tried for the booze found in his car? same principle should apply.
also, if the source of his cash is suspicious, shouldn't police investigate it, and gather evidence and shouldn't pg file a new case? isn't that how this is supposed to be? or should the judge be influencing what is going on in the trial?
last i saw, the scale i saw on mdp's flag was level. but i guess something was missing. the blind folded person who should be holding it....
congrats Adam Nasee.. its time earn the bribe you gave away for politicians..Squeeze the citizens, trap all youths in the net much broader than previous,..xoba
This case tickles my mind and its really obvious gornment is fully involved in this case. everything being set up by government and drug lord said earlier he wouldn’t give any statement to police without the president Nasheed.its all very clear….!!!And Nasheed said there were six drug lords in the country but one and half a year they manage to catch only one drug lord and he is free now according to sharia and law and lack of evidence. I think police didn’t put enough evidence because it’s been set up for like that by President Nasheed’s request. and the other thing is that they will catch next as well but will bee free if they get enough evidence for sure. it took one and half year to catch one drug lord and how long will take to catch the rest with enough evidence. Will Nasheed or could catch them before his presidency term end up in three years. Bribe some one with another six million and catch him and then put in behind bar but we know will be free after some time.
What a bloody lousy job these coppers are doing.Anarchy in the Maldives!!!