Supreme Court orders rearrest of businessman charged with drug trafficking

The Supreme Court has ordered the rearrest of Abdulatheef Mohamed, a businessman who was last year charged with drug trafficking after police discovered more than one kilogram of illegal narcotics inside his car, but was found innocent by the Criminal Court last week due to lack of evidence.

The Prosecutor General has appealed at the High Court claiming that the Criminal Court’s verdict was unfair.

Delivering the verdict last week, the Criminal Court said the Prosecutor General had been unable to prove that Abdulatheef and another businessman, Hassan Ali, were guilty of drug trafficking, due to lack of evidence and witnesses presented to the court.

The court also claimed that no evidence was presented to the court suggesting that the illegal narcotics were imported with the knowledge of both Hassan and Abdulatheef. The Criminal Court then ruled that there was no reason to suspect that Abdulatheef and Hassan had an intention to traffic drugs, and freed the pair.

In May, the Criminal Court summoned and ordered the release of Abdulatheef a day after the High Court invalidated a letter sent by the Criminal Court to the police instructing them to release him to house arrest.

The Criminal Court first asked police to keep Abdulatheef, of Gnaviyani Atoll Fuvamulah, in detention as determined by the Home Ministry, until his trial reached a conclusion. However the Criminal Court later sent a letter to the police changing the court’s first decision and asking police to move him to house arrest.

The police then appealed at the High Court seeking for the letter to be invalidated. The High Court judges determined that the order in the letter was not consistent with the applicable laws concerning detention, and overruled it.

The Prosecutor General at the time appealed at the High Court challenging the Criminal Court’s ordering the release of Abdulatheef.

However, the High Court bench ruled that the order of release was lawful and that judges had the authority to order the release of suspects.

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5 thoughts on “Supreme Court orders rearrest of businessman charged with drug trafficking”

  1. These types of cases shows how developed is Maldivian judicial system is. However, locals and foreigners firmly believe that Maldivian legal system does unjust continuously.
    For these reason Maldivian judicial system unique in the world!

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  2. The drug were found in his possession and that should have been enought for the court to nail him.

    Is possession of drugs legal in Maldives?

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  3. Why didn't he check the content before carrying the stuff. It is his responsibility to know what he is transporting. A passenger carrying some ones parcel have to take the responsibility while this guy doesn't.

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  4. These men are worthless worms...they need to be hanged!

    Hope that all the drug traffickers and the men who earn from the drug business rot in jail&rot real big time!!! these devils have killed a generation with the help of an irresponsible&corrupt government which had it's way to ban firecrackers from the country but gave a blind eye to drug traffickers..all those concerned deserve to die a thousand deaths&die violently at that!!

    How many families have they destroyed for their own happiness and prosperity..they will have all those mothers whose children they sold these drugs to curse them forever!!!

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