The Criminal Court has extended the pretrial detention period of the two suspects arrested in connection with the murder of late MP and religious Scholar Dr Afrasheem Ali by another 15 days.
According to local newspapers the pair was brought to the court on Friday.
Local media has identified the two suspects as Ali Hashim ‘Smith from the island of Dhidhoo in Haa Alifu Atoll and Hassan Humam from Male’.
Minivan News understands that another boy was arrested in connection with the case, who became a suspect after the police noticed that on the night of Afrasheem’s murder he wore the same colored shirt as caught on the CCTV footage near the area where Afrasheem was murdered.
According to sources the boy had not been released yet.
Afrasheem was killed on October 1. His wife discovered the body lying on the staircase of their home.
Immediately prior to his murder Afrasheem had made his last public appearance on a live talkshow on TVM titled “Islamee Dhiriulhun” (Islamic Living).
In his last words, Afrasheem said that he was deeply saddened and asked for forgiveness from citizens if he had created a misconception in their minds due to his inability to express himself in the right manner.
Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Shaheem Ali Saeed was quoted in local media as saying that the Islamic Ministry had not forced Afrasheem to offer a public apology for anything during his last television appearance and disputed that there was any religious motivation in the death of the moderate scholar.
The Maldives Police Service (MPS) has sought assistance from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Singaporean police to analyse 200 items collected as evidence during the ongoing investigation.
Evidence gathered so far includes recordings of phone conversations, forensic samples and over 300 hours of CCTV footage, which were being analysed at the police forensic laboratory with the help of foreign experts.
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