Six men charged with murder of Ali Shifan deny allegations in court

The six suspects in the murder case of Ali Shifan, who was stabbed to death by a group of men in April, were produced before the Criminal Court yesterday and all of them denied charges.

A group of men arrived on motorbikes and stabbed 33 year-old Ali Shifan,of Maafannu Fairy Corner, while he was waiting outside the West Park Restaurant.

Police arrested six suspects and their names were forwarded to the Prosecutor General’s Office for prosecution. The six suspects were identified by the police as Ali Nabeeh, 22, of M.Nalahiyaa Manzil, Mohamed Shaifan, 18, of Male’ Dhaftharu no 3912,  Razzan Abdu Rahman, 19, of Kaanimaage house in Thulhaadhoo island of Baa Atoll,  Abdul Thilmeez, 20, of M.Thilmeez,  Mohamed Asif, 19, of Maafahi house inKurendhoo island of Lhaviyani Atoll and Mohamed Mishaan Abdul Haadhy, 20, of M.Silver Nest.

Today at court the prosecution lawyer submitted the charges against the six suspects and the judge determined that they were serious criminal offenses under the constitution and inquired as to whether the respondents would like to have a lawyer with the assistance of the state, which the six refused.

According to local media reports, the suspects requested the judge grant them the opportunity to appoint lawyers, and the judge gave them a period of three days to do so.

Newspaper ‘Haveeru’ reported that the judge told the six men that they had to produce witnesses in their defense to the next hearing.

The judge also said witnesses from the prosecution will be produced to the court on the same day, reported Haveeru.

A friend of Shifan told Minivan News at the time that the victim was attacked while he was waiting in front of West Park Restaurant for a friend.

‘’He was having a coffee inside West Park Restaurant and went out because a friend was coming to see him,’’ he said. ‘’He was waiting with another friend and this group shows up with sharp weapons.’’

‘’It was a long bladed knife and he is a very slim man. He was stabbed from behind and it went straight through his back and came out the other side,” the source said, claiming that Shifan had been stabbed twice.