The Criminal Court on Monday sentenced three men to life imprisonment over the violent murder of Hussain Mohamed Manik in the island of Hoarafushi in Haa Alif atoll in 2010.
The three convicts proven guilty of terrorism charges are Mohamed Latheef, Nooman Abdulla and Ahmed Ibrahim, sentenced to 25 years in jail. Latheef is a nephew of Hussain Manik.
The verdict read by the Chief Judge of the Criminal Court, Abdul Bari Yoosuf, cited medical reports that Manik had not passed due to natural causes but was assaulted.
While all three suspects have refuted their charges, the verdict read that all evidence and testimony ascertains their participation in Manik’s abduction.
However, the verdict notes that there is no evidence proving that the objective of his abduction had been murder. Hence, the suspects were convicted only of kidnapping.
Judge Bari highlighted that the three suspects’ behaviour the night of Manik’s abduction had been suspicious and there were indications that he had been abducted.
Prosecutors had stated in the trials that Manik had been kidnapped and taken to an empty land plot, where he had been suffocated with sand stuffed in his mouth. The prosecutors also noted that large sums of money had been stolen from Manik’s house.
As the court reached a verdict on Manik’s case six years after the murder took place, the three convicts are now to serve 19 years in prison.
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