Tag: dr afrasheem

Minor arrested in connection with Dr Afrasheem’s case sentenced for misleading investigation

The Juvenile Court has sentenced a minor arrested in connection with Dr Afrasheem Ali’s murder to eight months imprisonment after the court found him guilty of misleading the police investigation.

According to local newspapers, the court ruling was based on witness statement and the minor’s confession.

However no media outlet has yet been able to get details regarding the hearings inside the Juvenile Court, which were closed to the public and media. The court ruling was issued yesterday.

The trial of Hussain Humam and Ali Shan, two other men charged with the murder of Dr Afrasheem Ali, continues in the Criminal Court.

MP Afrasheem was stabbed to death on the night of October 1 2012, by the staircase of his home. Two suspects were arrested in connection with the case including Humam and a suspect identified as Ali Shan of Henveiru Hikost.

A Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) officer and Abdulla ‘Jaa’ Javid – son-in-law of opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik – were also detained by police over alleged involvement in the case. Both were later released by the courts.

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

In December last year the MDP accused the police of attempting to pin Afrasheem’s murder on its members, instead of going after those guilty of the crime.

Police Commissioner Abdullah Riyaz has previously stated the child “deliberately misled” police by providing false information during their investigation into Afrasheem’s murder. The minor was the “lookout” during the stabbing and subsequent murder of the moderate Islamic scholar.

In accordance with the Penal Code, any person who gives false testimony can be given a jail sentence of up to a year, face two years of banishment, or receive a maximum fine of MVR 1,000 (US$65).

Minors can be given only two-thirds of any given sentence, according to juvenile crime regulations.

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Chief suspect in Afrasheem case confesses to stabbings, robberies, murder, but denies attack on MP

The Maldives Police Service’s main suspect in the murder case of MP Dr Afrasheem Ali has confessed in court to multiple stabbings, robberies and at least one murder, but has denied murdering the MP.

Speaking in court, Humam informed the judge of the crimes he had committed, noting that he had started in 2006. According to local media reports, Humam told the judge that he stabbed a person in the head on Janavaree Magu, stabbed a person called ‘Haabarey’ inside the Alimas Carnival area, stabbed a foreign navy officer in the stomach, stabbed a person inside the ‘Dolphin’ restaurant and two days later stabbed a second person inside Alimas Carnival, an a man walking near Henveiru Stadium with a woman.

He also told the court that he had been involved in serious robbery cases and said that he wanted to repent his sins.

However Humam said that although he had committed all these crimes, he had never attacked Dr Afrasheem.

MP Afrasheem was stabbed to death on the night of October 1 2012, by the staircase of his home. Two suspects were arrested in connection with the case including Humam and a suspect identified as Ali Shan of Henveiru Hikost.

A Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) officer and Abdulla ‘Jaa’ Javid – son-in-law of opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik – were also detained by police over alleged involvement in the case. Both were later released by the courts.

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

In December last year the MDP accused the police of attempting to pin Afrasheem’s murder on its members, instead of going after those guilty of the crime.

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Trial begins of second suspect arrested over murder of MP Dr Afrasheem Ali

The Criminal Court today commenced the first hearing in the trail of Ahmed Shan, the second suspect to be arrested in connection with the murder of moderate religious scholar and MP Dr Afrasheem Ali.

State prosecutors confirmed that the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) was pressing murder charges against Shan.

Shan is accused of entering the Funvilu house in Galolhu ward between 11:00pm on October 1 and 2:00am the following day with a group of people to murder Dr Afrasheem.

In response, Shan said the charges were clear to him and told the court that he wished to secure legal counsel.

However, the defendant told the court today that he was not aware of the evidence against him.

The presiding judge replied that the court would grant permission to produce the evidence and witnesses after Shan responded to the charges against him.

Evidence to support the prosecution would then be issued to Shan, with the exception of certain confidential documents submitted to the court by the state, the judge said.

The next hearing of the case is scheduled for May 5, 2013.

The trial of Shan’s co-accused Hussain Humam is also presently being heard in the Criminal Court, with the suspect having previously pleaded not guilty to charges of murder.  The suspect has also requested legal council.

A Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) representative and Abdulla ‘Jaa’ Javid – son-in-law of opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik – were also detained by police over having alleged involvement in the case.

Both were later released by the courts.

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

In December last year, the MDP accused the police of attempting to pin Afrasheem’s murder on its members, instead of going after those guilty of the crime.

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

Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz has previously alleged the murder of the MP was well planned and worth MVR 4 million (US$260,000).

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Minor arrested in connection with Dr Afrasheem’s murder charged with giving false statement

The state has pressed charges against a minor arrested in connection with the murder of Dr Afrasheem Ali, who was murdered in October last year.

The state told the court the minor had given a false statement to police when he was summoned to police during the investigation of Dr Afrasheem’s murder, and that the minor had also given false statement to the Juvenile Court.

The minor told the court that he would respond to the charges in the presence a lawyer during the next hearing, according to local media.

Spokesperson for the Juvenile Court Zaeema Nasheed did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

Dr Afrasheem was a well-known religious scholar and the MP for Ungoofaaru constituency. He was stabbed to death on the night of October 1, on the staircase of his home.

Two men were arrested as main suspects involved in the case. The two suspects were identified by police as Hussein Humam of Henveiru Lobby and Ali Shan and of Henveiru Hikost.

The trial of Humam is currently ongoing in the Criminal Court, while Shan’s case has yet to start.

A Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) officer and Abdulla ‘Jaa’ Javid – son-in-law of opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik – were also previously detained by police over their alleged involvement in the case.  Both were later released by the court.

Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz has previously alleged that the murder of the MP was “well planned”and worth MVR 4 million (US$260,000).

In his last words, aired on the show, Afrasheem said he was deeply saddened and asked for forgiveness from citizens if he had created a misconception in their minds due to his inability to express himself in the right manner.

Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Shaheem Ali Saeed was quoted in local media as saying that the Islamic Ministry had not forced Afrasheem to offer a public apology for anything during his last television appearance ,and disputed that there was any religious motivation in the death of the moderate scholar.

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Criminal Court extends detention of second suspect in Afrasheem murder case

The Criminal Court yesterday extended the detention period of Ahmed Shan, the second main suspect arrested in connection with the death of late MP and well-known religious scholar Dr Afrasheem Ali.

The Criminal Court told local media that Shan, of Henveiru Hikost House, was summoned to the Criminal Court yesterday and his pretrial detention period was extended another 15 days.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Court recently started the trial of Hussain Human, the main suspect arrested in connection with the case.

During the first hearing the state attorney read out the charges against Humam, who pleaded not guilty and requested the court grant him the opportunity to appoint a lawyer.

Attorneys representing the state told the Criminal Court that on 1 October 2012, Humam and a group of people attacked and murdered Dr Afrasheem Ali.

The mobile phone of Criminal Court Spokesperson Mohamed Manik was switched off and he was unavailable for comment at time of press.

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

Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz has previously alleged the murder of the MP was well planned and worth MVR 4 million (US$260,000).

In a presentation shown to a press conference last year, Riyaz claimed that 11 suspects were initially arrested, of which three had since been released. He added that about 200 items had been analysed as evidence, including forensic and digital evidence, which he claimed were enough to prosecute the prime suspects.

“Over 500 hours of CCTV footage have been analysed, more than a hundred 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.

The commissioner claimed Afrasheem was last seen alive inside the premises of the state broadcaster, Television Maldives (TVM). The presentation suggested that Afrasheem was seen leaving the premises in his car around 11:04pm, according to nearby CCTV camera footage.

Afrasheem left the station after participating in a religious TV program called “Islamee Dhiriulhun” (Islamic Life), with Deputy Minister of Islamic Affairs Mohamed Qubad Aboobakuru.

In his last words, aired on the show, Afrasheem said he was deeply saddened and asked for forgiveness from citizens if he had created a misconception in their minds due to his inability to express himself in the right manner.

Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Shaheem Ali Saeed was quoted in local media as saying that the Islamic Ministry had not forced Afrasheem to offer a public apology for anything during his last television appearance and disputed that there was any religious motivation in the death of the moderate scholar.

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Main suspect in Dr Afrasheem’s murder case denies charges

Hussain Humam, a suspect arrested in connection to the murder of Ungoofaaru Constituency MP Dr Afrasheem Ali, today denied the charges against him during the first hearing of his case at the Criminal Court.

During today’s hearing, the state attorney read out the charges against Humam, who pleaded not guilty and requested the court to grant him the opportunity to appoint a lawyer for his defence.

Attorneys representing the state told the Criminal Court that on 1 October 2012, Humam and a group of people had attacked and murdered Dr Afrasheem Ali.

According to the local media, during the hearing the judge asked Humam how soon he could appoint a lawyer. Humam replied that he would have to speak to his family. He was given one week  by the presiding judge.

Ali Shan, of Hikost House in Henveiru, was also arrested as a suspect in the murder case. The police have now concluded the investigation and have sent the case to the Prosecutor General.

Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz has previously alleged that the murder of the MP for Ungoofaaru constituency was a well planned murder worth MVR 4 million (US$260,000).

In a presentation shown during a press conference last year, Riyaz claimed that 11 suspects were initially arrested, however three had now been released. He added that about 200 items had been analysed as evidence, including forensic and digital evidence, which he claimed were enough to prosecute the prime suspects.

“Over 500 hours of CCTV footage have been analysed, more than a hundred 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.

The commissioner claimed Afrasheem was last seen alive inside the premises of the state broadcaster, Television Maldives (TVM). The presentation suggested that Afrasheem was seen leaving the premises in his car around 11:04pm, according to the nearby CCTV camera footage.

Afrasheem left the station after participating in a religious TV program called “Islamee Dhiriulhun” (Islamic Life), with Deputy Minister of Islamic Affairs Mohamed Qubad Aboobakuru.

In his last words, aired on the show, Afrasheem said that he was deeply saddened and asked for forgiveness from citizens if he had created a misconception in their minds due to his inability to express himself in the right manner.

Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Shaheem Ali Saeed was quoted in local media as saying that the Islamic Ministry had not forced Afrasheem to offer a public apology for anything during his last television appearance and disputed that there was any religious motivation in the death of the moderate scholar.

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Police send names of two suspects in Afrasheem murder case to PG’s Office

The Maldives Police Service has this week sent the case of two suspects arrested over the murder of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP and Religious Scholar Dr Afrasheem Ali to the Prosecutor General’s (PG’s) Office.

According to Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz’s twitter feed, files on the two suspects were sent to the PG’s Office yesterday.

The two suspects were later identified by the police as Hussain Humam Ahmed of Henveiru Lobby and Ali Shan of Henveiru Hicost.

Just last week, a Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) officer was also reported to have been arrested in connection with the Afrasheem investigation.  However, the police and MNDF have yet to officially confirm the reports.

The Maldives Police Service has said that current policy when providing information regarding the investigation of Dr Afrasheem was to withhold all details from media until  official press conferences on the case were held.

At the last conference held on December 4, Commissioner Riyaz said that the murder of  Dr Afrasheem was well-planned, insisting the attack was politically motivated and funded.

Riyaz alleged that assassins were thought to have been offered MVR 4 million (US$260,000) for the attack.

In a presentation at the time, the police commissioner claimed that 11 suspects had been arrested in connection to the case so far – although three were later released.

He said that 200 items had been collected by police for use 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 claimed at the time.

Afrasheem was killed on October 1. His wife discovered his 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 a split within the former opposition party, Afrasheem sided with the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), which was established by former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Widely considered in the country 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.

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MNDF officer arrested in connection with Dr Afrasheem’s murder

A Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) officer has been arrested in connection with the murder of MP and religious scholar Dr Afrasheem Ali.

Although police and MNDF did not initially confirm the arrest, local media confirmed the report through the defence lawyers of the MNDF officer arrested.

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 a next press briefing.

The MNDF has meanwhile confirmed that a MNDF officer was arrested earlier last week.

The MNDF told the local press that it was not the military’s policy to provide information on the charges, but said it would cooperate with the police in their investigation.

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).

In a presentation shown during a press conference this week, Riyaz claimed that altogether 11 suspects were arrested with three of them later released.

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.

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FBI assisting with Afrasheem murder investigation: Police Commissioner Riyaz

The Maldives Police Service has said two US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officials are providing “technical consultancy” in investigating the murder of religious scholar and Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Dr Afrasheem Ali on October 2.

At a press conference held on Thursday (October 11), Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz also confirmed that two additional suspects have been arrested with regard to the case, increasing the total number of arrests in connection with the murder to six.

According to local media reports, Riyaz confirmed the same day that a total of 80 police officers have been assigned to the case. The police have now questioned 75 persons and are analysing 130 video clips from security cameras around the capital of Male’.

Riyaz further stated his belief that the murder had been committed as a pre-planned, calculated attack.

Talking to local media, Riyaz revealed that police officers had uncovered sufficient evidence, and were further investigating reports of related financial transactions to the case.

He confirmed that police would continue with the investigation until the culprits were found.

In an unprecedented move, the police service also announced that reward money amounting to MVR 500,000 would be granted to any person providing evidence that would lead to a conviction in the country’s courts.

Riyaz added that in cases where threats were made to ‘high-profile’ persons in future, police would be taking necessary precautionary actions to protect them.

Politics and religion

Following the murder of Dr Afrasheem, Maldivian Democratic Party(MDP) activists Mariyam Naifa and Ali Hashim were arrested on Tuesday, October 3 from Dolphin Cafe.

Although police failed to confirm at the time that the arrests were made in relation to the MP’s murder, Naifa’s lawyer confirmed that authorities had arrested her colleague based on ‘intelligence reports’ about the attack.

The MDP has since alleged that the arrests were politically motivated, expressing concerns that the “brutal murder of a respected and elected member of the Parliament” was potentially being used to frame political opponents.

In a press conference held on October 3, Assistant Commissioner of Police Hassan Habeeb stated, “We are not arresting people based on their political affiliations.”

Prior to his murder, Afrasheem had made his last public appearance on a live talk-show on TVM titled, “Islamee Dhiriulhun” (Islamic Living).

In his last broadcast words, Afrasheem said that he was deeply saddened and asked for forgiveness from citizens if he had created a misconception in their minds due to his inability to express himself in the right manner.

Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Shaheem Ali Saeed later stated that the Islamic Ministry had in no way forced Afrasheem to offer a public apology for anything in his last TV appearance.

Earlier in September, local media had reported that the Islamic Ministry had held a meeting titled ‘Scholar’s Dialogue’ to hold discussions about how Afrasheem’s religious views contradicted those of other local scholars.

Shaheem had stated at the time that they had not been able to reach a common consensus, but that further meetings had been planned.

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