The Criminal Court yesterday cancelled a high-profile hearing into the brutal murder of MP Dr Afrasheem Ali, after the Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services (DPRS) failed to produce the suspect to the court on time.
Minivan News contacted Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed to query about the case, however he had not responded at time of press.
Criminal Court Spokesperson Ahmed Mohamed Manik also did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.
Local media reported they had been unable to clarify as to why he was not produced to court on time. Neither Criminal Court or the DPRS have said anything on the matter so far.
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 also 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.
Humam initially confessed to the murder, but later withdrew his statement claiming it had been extracted under police duress.
During the last hearing, held on July 11, a forensic expert told the judge that one of the DNA samples taken from Humam’s jeans matched a DNA sample taken from Dr Afrasheem.
Humam’s lawyer challenged the forensic evidence, contending that while Dr Afrasheem was murdered between 12:00am to 1:00am on October 1, and Humam was arrested at 1:45am the same night, there was a window for police to put Dr Afrasheem’s DNA sample on Humam’s jeans. and asked the expert if he was able to determine at what time Humam’s jeans received the sample.
The expert stated that Humam’s jeans were received for testing the following day, on October 2.
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