High Court supports lower court’s decision to extend detention of Abdulla Javid

The High Court has upheld a  Criminal Court order to extend the detention of Abdulla Javid, the son-in-law of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson and MP ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik.

The High Court’s ruling stated that Javid was arrested in connection with the murder of late MP and Religious Scholar Dr Afrasheem Ali, and that at police had a phone call recording as evidence to support their accusation against Javid.

The case was filed at the High Court by Javid claiming that the Criminal Court’s extension of detention order was unlawful, however,the High Court ruled that there was no reasonable ground so support this.

Police Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef told Minivan News that police policy when providing information about Dr Afrasheem’s death was to keep all information until the next press briefing.

Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz has claimed that the murder of MP for Ungoofaaru constituency Dr Afrasheem Ali was a well-planned murder and insisted it was politically motivated.

The Commissioner alleged that the assassins were offered MVR 4 million (US$260,000).

He said that 200 items were collected as forensic and digital evidence.

“Over 500 hours of CCTV footage have been analysed, more than 100 people have been interviewed and about 13,000 phone call recordings have been analysed out of which 12,000 were from one single tower,” Riyaz said.

Afrasheem was killed on October 1. His wife discovered the body lying on the staircase of their home.

Dr Afrasheem was elected to parliament in 2009 as a member of the then-opposition Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP). Following the opposition’s split, Afrasheem sided with the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and faded into the political background.

Widely considered an Islamic moderate, Dr Afrasheem took outspoken and controversial positions on issues such as the permissibility of playing music, and praying next to the deceased.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)