Tag: veyru

Defense witnesses tell court murder suspect was playing video games when incident occurred

Three defense witnesses of Muhujath Abdul Naasih who was arrested in connection with the death of 21-year-old Abdul Muheeth ‘Bobby’ of Galolhu Veyru have told the court that Naasih was with them playing video games when the incident occurred.

Local media present at the Criminal Court today reported that the three witnesses said Naasih was with them playing video games from 10pm to 2am the night Muheeth was murdered.

The witnesses said that at 2am they went to Petral Hotel where they met another friend before going for a ride around Malé.

They told the court that while they were riding on two motorbikes they clashed into each other, claiming that that was how Naasih got the bruise on his leg which police had claimed was obtained during the attack on Muheeth.

According to the witnesses they took Naasih to ADK hospital and after treating the injury they all went home.

Haveeru has previously reported that police had said phone call recordings revealed that Naasih’s leg was injured by another minor was involved in the murder case who had been carrying a sharp weapon that night.

Before concluding today’s hearing the presiding judge announced that the next hearing would be held on May 6.

On February 19, 2012, Muheeth was rushed to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital after being stabbed at 1:45am near the Finance Ministry building. He later died during treatment.

In May 2013, the Juvenile Court issued the death sentence to two 18 year-olds found guilty of the murder.

A total of three minors were charged in the case, with one later acquitted. The two sentenced to death are both 18 years-old, although both were minors at the time of the murder,

At the time of Muheeth’s death Police Inspector Abdulla Satheeh told the press that the investigation showed that the victim had no involvement in gang-related crimes, had no police record, and was working in a responsible job at the time.

The three main suspects were identified at the time as Muhujath Ahmed Naasih of Abulagee Ge on Gahdhoo in Gaaf Dhaal Atoll, Mohamed Maimoon of Zaithoonige, on Naifaru of Lhaviyani Atoll and Ali Mushahfau of Sultan Villa on Maradhoo in Seenu Atoll.

Bobby’s murder prompted a public outpouring of grief, with the ‘Justice for Bobby’ Facebook page receiving over 16,000 members, and a ten-minute silence observed at the scene of the murder.

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Muheeth heirs approve death sentence

The Juvenile Court has today finished taking statements from the heirs of Abdul Muheeth, 21, who was murdered earlier this year in Male’, according to local media.

Muheeth’s heirs were reported to have all approved passing the death sentence against the trial’s defendants should they be found guilty.

With the statements of Muheeth’s family now taken, the Juvenile Court today asked prosecutors to submit any evidence they have against the three defendants when it next reconvened.

If the state did not have any more evidence to provide against the defendants, the presiding judge said that closing statements from both sides would be heard.

When presiding over murder cases, the judiciary is required to obtain statements from all the heirs of the deceased before passing a sentence.  Islamic Sharia states that the death sentence can only be issued should all heirs of a murder victim approve such sentencing.

Abdul Muheeth of G. Veyru was rushed to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) after he was stabbed at 1:45am near the Finance Ministry building on February 19. He later died during treatment.

In March, Police Inspector Abdulla Satheeh said Muheeth was mistakenly killed by a gang and that he was not the intended target.

Police previously announced that Muheeth was not a member of any gangs, adding that he also held a responsible job at the time of his death

Death sentence

Article 88[d] of the Maldives Penal Code states that murders should be dealt with according to Islamic Sharia and that persons found guilty of murder “shall be executed” if no heir of the victim objects, according to Islamic Sharia.

Although Maldives Penal Code allows for the death sentence, it has traditionally been commuted to 25 years in prison.

However, The Attorney General last week drafted a bill proposing changes to the law outlining execution of the death sentence in the Maldives.

The Attorney General said that the bill could go through major amendments when it finally gets passed.

The last person to be judicially executed in the Maldives was Hakim Didi, who was executed by firing squad in 1953 after being found guilty of conspiracy to murder using black magic.

Statistics show that from January 2001 to December 2010, a total of 14 people were sentenced to death by Maldivian courts.

However, in all cases, the acting president has commuted these verdicts to life sentences.

Under the new bill proposed last week, the Supreme Court the Supreme Court would have the ultimate say on whether any death sentence given by the country’s judiciary would stand.

Speaking to Minivan News earlier this month, former Foreign Minister and UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran Dr Ahmed Shaheed identified the “pathetic state of the [Maldives] judiciary” as one of the key human rights concerns he believed needed to be addressed in the country.

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