The Criminal Court has instructed Police to make arrangements to transfer a transient man living on Male' streets and engaging in petty crime to his island of origin.
Police yesterday arrested Abdulla Shareef of Bodugasdhoshuge, Lh. Kurendhoo, on allegations of attempting to steal from Maldives Digital Service.
Police found him eating during the daytime in Ramadan. When Police located him, they found a dismantled AC outdoor unit and tools beside him.
When questioned, Shareef initially claimed that he had gone into Maldives Digital Service because he had been tired. He admitted that he had later re-entered the premises with two additional individuals with the intention of robbing the place. He said that the other two individuals had since fled.
Shareef was arrested and then presented in court for his remand hearing.
At his remand hearing, Shareef insisted that he had entered Maldives Digital Service because he had been tired, and denied any theft. However, as there was sufficient evidence to support a theft charge, the court placed him in remand in custody for five days.
The court order states that Shareef has a long record of previous offences and subsequent detention. Judge Sofwath Habeeb also wrote that when the court had advised Shareef, he had given an emotional account of his current life situation.
The court order details that Shareef currently has no place to live, nor any employment. Shareef had said in court that he has to resort to sleeping on the streets.
He had previously requested transfer back to his home island, which the Police had facilitated. Once again, he is facing challenges in moving back to his island, he told the court. He explained that this was because his pocket was cut and his phone and money stolen while he had been asleep in a public area.
Taking his situation into consideration, the court instructed Police to arrange for him to be held in custody at a location that includes his home island. The court said this would resolve the issue of transferring him back home.
