Faena's husband takes blame for drugs found

Senior State Counsel at Attorney General's Office Faena Fayaz has been granted conditional release following her remand hearing at the Criminal Court. This decision was based on her husband, Ahmed Azhaadh's, confession that the drugs found in their apartment were his, and the police's inability to otherwise link Faena to the seized items.

Faena, 33, was released on conditions, while her husband, Azhaadh, 36, was remanded in custody for 15 days. The couple was jointly charged with possession, sale, and use of drugs.

According to Faena's release order, she did not object to the search that found the drugs in their apartment. However, her defense stated that the items had nothing to do with her, as her husband had taken full responsibility for them.

The order specified that the drugs were discovered in a cupboard drawer, which was described as a location where her husband's belongings were stored. Crucially, Faena tested negative for drugs. Furthermore, the initial intelligence report for the case did not indicate that her husband was involved in a crime. The police were also unable to clarify how the husband took responsibility for the drugs or how they could be linked to Faena.

Faena's lawyer emphasized to the court that she is a mother of two with no prior criminal record, arguing there was no necessity to keep her in remand while the investigation proceeded.

Azhaadh was remanded for 15 days. He confirmed that the drugs found in the apartment were his, stating he had not kept them there for long and that no one else would have known about their presence. His defense told the court that he is not believed to be a widespread drug dealer.

It is understood that 33 grams of diamorphine were found on a table in their apartment. If proven to be equivalent to drug trafficking, a conviction carries a life sentence.

The apartment search was carried out under a court order issued last month, subsequent to Faena's husband being arrested at a café and then taken to the apartment.