Tag: crime

Police officers testify that Afrasheem murder suspect sent text asking for money

Two police officers have testified in court stating that they stopped and searched Hussein Humam’s person on the night Dr Afrasheem Ali was murdered.

One officer stated that he had seen a text message sent from Humam’s mobile phone talking about failing to receive promised money.

The police officer did not identify the recipient of the text message.

According to local media present in the Criminal Court for the hearing, the police officer said he was called and informed that a person had been stabbed in Male’ and that he joined officers patrolling the city before coming across Humam near the State Bank of India.

Both police officers told the court that they had arrested Humam many times previously, but said on that night he was behaving unusually, by failing to resist arrest, behaving scared, and sweating and shaking.

The police officers told the court that Humam was under the influence of an illegal substance and so arrested him and brought him to Atholhu Vehi police custodial.

Before concluding the hearing the judge announced that the court had decided not to accept any evidence or testimony from the respondent, stating that Humam had already submitted evidence for his defence.

Humam initially confessed to the murder, but later withdrew his statement claiming it had been extracted under police duress.

Dr Afrasheem Ali was stabbed to death on the night of October 1, on the staircase of his home.

State prosecutors have accused Hussain Humam, along with Ali Shan – who is facing the same charges – and a minor identified as ‘Nangi’, of going to the residence of Dr Afrasheem and murdering him with a machete and a bayonet knife.

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Minor arrested in connection with July murder of 31 year-old man

Police have arrested a minor in connection with the murder of Ahmed Nizar, 31, of Woodland House in Gan, Laamu Atoll, who was killed on July 14, 2013.

In a statement issued today police said the minor was arrested on Saturday August 10 after an arrest warrant was obtained from the court.

Police had previously arrested five persons in connection with the case.

On July 15 police arrested a 21 year-old man while a 22 year-old man was arrested on July 17. Two other men aged 26 and 22 were also arrested in connection with the case.

Police said the court had extended the suspects’ pretrial detention period to 15 days and they have been brought Male’ for investigation.

The Police Serious and Organized Crime Department and Laamu Gan Police Station are investigating the case, police said.

Ahmed Nizar was attacked in the early hours of July 14 while he was travelling to Gan from Kahdhoo, after receiving some football jerseys from the Kahdhoo Post Office.

At the time police said the investigation had revealed that Nizar was attacked with wooden planks and iron bars. Police recovered the murder weapons.

A special team of police were deployed to Gan to investigate the murder. Police said the victim had no record of criminal activity.

The attack on Nizar is the second murder on Gan this year. On March 14 , a 51 year-old man was attacked with an axe while he was sleeping in a house. He died shortly after the attack having suffered serious head injuries.

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Police seek public assistance to locate expatriate accused of raping 19 year-old girl on Hulhumale

Police have asked for public assistance in locating an expat suspected of abducting and raping a 19 year-old girl on Hulhumale while she was on her way to an office.

Police said the incident occurred on Saturday morning at about 9:30am. The man allegedly snatched the girl from the street and raped her in some bushes near Reethi Gas Magu Road.

Police said the suspect’s identity remained unknown. The statement did not reveal his nationality, but said he was 5 feet 7 inches in height with shortly trimmed hair, and had last been seen on the 10:00am ferry to Male.

On the ferry he was observed to be wearing a grey shirt and grey pair of trousers, and had a badly injured index finger, police said.

Police said many people who travelled on the 10:00am ferry would have seen the suspect, and asked for anybody with more information to contact either the main police line (332 2111) or the serious and organised crime department on 991 1099.

Police have meanwhile arrested two more suspects in connection with the gang rape of a 17 year-old girl on the island of Milandhoo in Shaviyani Atoll last week.

The 17 year-old girl was abducted, gang raped and filmed by a ‘large group’ of men, after she was abducted while walking home after attending a tuition class.

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Police charge nine men and two minors in connection with May stabbing

Police have concluded an investigation into a case involving a young man attacked with sharp weapons in May, and have sent the names of nine men and two minors to the Prosecutor General (PG)’s office for prosecution.

Police identified the nine men as Anas Hussein, 19 of Hinnavaru in Lhaviyani Atoll, Midhath Ibrahim, 18, of Dhevvadhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, Mohamed Fareed, 18 of Male’, Hanif Imthiyaz, 18 of Baarah in Haa Alifu Atoll, Shifan Jameel, 20 of Villingili in Gaafu Alifu Atoll, Ahmed Mafaz, 26 of Addu City, Abdulla Naasihu, 18 of Kondey in Gaafu Alifu Atoll, Abdul Muhaimin Ahmed, 20 of Rathafandhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll and Nafeel Abdul Gadhir, 27 of Dhaandhoo in Gaafu Alifu Atoll.

Police said the nine persons stormed into a shop on Hithahfiniva Magu in the Henveiru ward of Male and assaulted a young man inside the shop on May 19 at about 6:20pm.

The investigation into the case was concluded on July 21 and was sent to the PG the same day, police stated.

The local media reports said the young man had run into the shop to escape from a group that was trying to attack him, and was hiding behind the counter when the group entered.

The victim was stabbed two places, local media reported.

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Maldivian suspect arrested over US$122,000 Male’ hotel theft

Police have arrested a Maldivian national in connection with the theft of over US$100,000 from a safe at the Relax Inn Hotel in Male’ yesterday (July 16) .

Police Spokesperson Chief Inspector Hassan Haneef confirmed that a case had been filed yesterday over the missing money, with investigations continuing into the matter.

Haneef said that officers were currently working on trying to reclaim the funds taken form the hotel, reported in local media to amount to US$122,000.

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Group murders 31 year-old man on Gan in Laamu Atoll

A group of men have murdered a 31 year-old man on the island of Gan in Laamu Atoll.

The police issued a statement today identifying the victim as Ahmed Nizar of Woodland house on Gan.

Police said the case was reported at 2:22am last night. Police attended the scene and discovered the body, which was at Gan Regional Hospital.

According to police, the doctors pronounced Nizar dead at the time he was brought to the hospital.

Police reported that Nizar was attacked while he was travelling to Gan from Kahdhoo, after receiving some football jerseys from the Kahdhoo Post Office.

The police investigation had revealed that Nizar was attacked with wooden planks and iron bars, police said, stating that they had recovered the murder weapons.

A special team of police have been deployed to Gan to investigate the murder. Police said the victim had no record of criminal activity.

A police spokesperson confirmed that one man had been arrested in connection with the murder.

Gan Island Councilor Abdulla Sulaiman told Minivan News that Nizar was attacked while he was in the company of two of his friends.

“He was with two other friends and as they reached an uninhabited area along Mukuri Magu, five men, three of whom were wearing masks, appeared on the road and attacked him,’’ Abdulla said. “They hit him in the head with an iron bar and he fell to the ground, and then they hit him a second time.”

Sulaiman said one of the five attackers then approached the victim, realised Nizar was not the person they had intended to attack, and said “Hey, I am really sorry bro.”

Sulaiman alleged the attack was related to the theft of a 20 litre bottle of homemade alcohol brewed on the island.

The attack on Nizar is the second murder on Gan this year. On March 14 this year, a 51 year-old man was attacked with an axe while he was sleeping in a house. He died shortly after the attack having suffered serious head injuries.

A source from the island at the time alleged the man was attacked for having an affair with a woman living in the house he was sleeping in.

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Police confirm 66-year old man stabbed in Addu City attack

A 66-year old man was stabbed in Addu City and robbed of his mobile phone and wallet this afternoon, police have confirmed.

The incident occurred at 2:44pm today, with the wounded man later being admitted to Hithadhoo Regional Hospital.

He was later identified by police as Hassan Ali of Saifaimaage, who had previously worked for the Maldives Police Service in a civil position before retiring with honour.

The case is now under investigation.

Local media has meanwhile reported that the man received injuries to his arm and ear in the attack.

No arrests have been made in connection with the case at present.

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Court extends detention of man accused of killing traffic police officer

Police have confirmed that a motorcyclist who collided with and killed a police constable in the earlier hours of Friday morning is being treated in Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

A police spokesperson told Minivan News that 27 year-old Hassan Afeef suffered injuries in the collision, but would not give details.

‘’Although he is in hospital, he is under police charge. The court has granted a 15 day extension of his pre-trial detention,” the spokesperson said.

The passenger on the motorcycle was also arrested, but was released by the Criminal Court when police sought to extend his detention.

IGMH’s spokesperson Zeenath Ali declined to provide information of the injuries Afeef had received, with local media claiming he had requested the hospital withhold information about his condition.

Previously media reports stated that Afeef was taken into custody and then to IGMH.

In a statement issued yesterday, police alleged Afeef had a previous record of assaulting and intentionally crashing into traffic police officers, and had previously been arrested.

Twenty-two year-old Constable Misbah Abdulla was killed while manning a checkpoint near the President’s jetty in Male’, after the speeding motorcycle collided with him.

According to police, the collision threw the officer 80 feet from the checkpoint. He was taken to ADK hospital but later died of his injuries.

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Court extends detention of MNDF officer accused of planning Dr Afrasheem’s murder

The Criminal Court has extended the detention period of Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) officer Azleef Rauf who was accused of planning the murder of Dr Afasheem Ali by Hussein Humam, the main suspect charged in the murder case.

Criminal Court Media Official Ahmed Mohamed Manik confirmed that Azleef’s pretrial detention period was extended yesterday (May 28).

‘‘He was brought before the judges last night,’’ he added.

Manik said police had charged Azleef with terrorism, intimidation, involvement in gang activities, participation in gang activities and conspiring to conduct criminal gang activities.

On May 22 Humam, the chief suspect arrested and charged in connection with the murder of Dr Afrasheem, said the idea of killing Dr Afrasheem was given to him by Azleef Rauf, who he met at a baibalaa tournament held in 2012.

Baibalaa is a sport played by young men in the Maldives in a sandy ring, requiring speed and agility.

Humam said during the tournament Azleef and that night sent him to pick up a kilogram of drugs from the airport that were smuggled in to the country by a Pakistani man. He said he dropped the drugs off to the house where a person he identified as ‘Mukkar’ lived.

According to a  statement read out in court on Humam’s behalf, he was invited to coffee with Azleef, Javid and his brother ‘Jana’, during which Azleef allegedly said “I promise you will get MVR4 million if you murder Dr Afrasheem,” to which Javid’s brother ‘Jana’ replied “yes you will.”

Rauf and Javid were also previously detained by police over their alleged involvement in the case. Both were later released by the court.

Javid spent 45 days in detention in connection to the Afrasheem murder, after which time his lawyer argued his continued detention was unconstitutional given there was no evidence to support keeping him in custody.

On the day of Javid’s release (January 17), his brother Shahin Mohamed was arrested by police while he was waiting with the rest of Javid’s family outside the court. Mohamed was released from police custody three hours after he was detained.

An MDP activist Mariyam Naifa was also arrested several days following the murder, and was subsequently released. Her lawyer at the time said she was arrested in connection to intelligence received by police in the Afrasheem case.

Immigration Controller Dr Mohamed Ali has since confirmed to the media that the passports of Abdulla ‘Jaa’ Javid, Adam ‘Spy’ Solah and Shahin Mohamed had been held in compliance with a request from police.

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