High Court overrules prison sentence of island chief

Nolhivaram Ali Rasheed Hussain, former island chief of Nolhivaram in Haa Dhaalu Atoll, has had his prison sentence revoked by the High Court, Sun Online reports.

Hussain was convicted in 2012 of embezzling MVr 3600 of State finances.

He was sentenced to two years and six months by the Nolhivaram Magistrate Court.

The High Court ruled on Wednesday that, as the Nolhivaram Magistrate Court had failed to produce the paperwork requested by Hussain during the trial, the sentence was null.

Furthermore, court minutes suggest that Hussain was denied the constitutional right to cross-examine the witnesses against him.

The vote to annul was unanimous.