The High Court on Wednesday, sentenced Mohamed Najah to 12 years imprisonment over the murder of his then-partner Mariyam Sheereen over 10 years ago.
Sheereen's body was discovered at a construction site in the Maafannu Ward of capital city Male', in December 2009. Although Najah was initially charged for her murder, the Criminal Court acquitted him in 2015.
However, state prosecutors later appealed the case at the High Court.
During the hearings held at the Criminal Court, various witnesses had testified against Najah, alleging that he had threatened to kill Sheereen. Witnesses also noted that Sheereen was last seen entering the apartment shared by the two, the day she was reported missing.
Footage released by the Maldives Police Service also depicted Najah dragging a visibly heavy suitcase, presumably with Sheereen's body, from their apartment. Police accused him of transporting her in the boot of a taxi to the construction site.
During a hearing held at the Criminal Court, the taxi driver corroborated Police's claims, stating that he had transported Najah and a heavy suitcase to the site where Sheereen was found, further noting a foul smell that was present after Najah had left the taxi.
Due to the level of decomposition by the time Sheereen's body was discovered and lack of a postmortem examination, the presiding bench of the High Court ruled that Shereen's death could not be considered a first-degree murder, citing a lack of evidence.
However, due to the evidence present, including the testimonials against him, the court convicted Najah of manslaughter, sentencing him to 12 years of jail, and two months of fasting as penance.
Testimonials against Najah further revealed that he had a history of physical abuse against Sheereen.
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