A case has been submitted to the Parliament to investigate the release of Abdulla Ibrahim (Abucha), who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for drug trafficking, after he was unlawfully granted the opportunity for parole.
The matter of Ibrahim's release by the Parole Board was submitted with a request for investigation through the relevant parliamentary committee by Galolhu North Constituency Member Mohamed Ibrahim (Kudoo).
According to the letter submitted by MP Mohamed, it is important to summon all members of the Parole Board who are responsible and participated in making that decision, along with investigating the procedures followed in granting parole.
MP Mohamed Ibrahim also requested an examination of the documentation reviewed to determine fulfillment of criteria and the benchmarks utilized to arrive at that decision.
Matters requested by Member Mohamed Ibrahim in his letter:
- Legal Procedure: Clarifying the legal procedure of how it was determined that the one-third threshold was met in granting parole to an individual with a 25-year sentence.
- Examining Systemic Flaws: Investigating whether this was a procedural error that occurred in a specific case or a matter proceeding systemically.
- Other Convicts: Examining whether additional convicts had been released previously through such a legal deception or misinterpretation.
- Role of the Ministry: Clarifying the procedures regarding the extent to which the Home Ministry is aware of the Parole Board's decisions.
"As overseeing how actions taken by the executive branch are conducted and holding them accountable under the enforcement of the Constitution is a constitutional duty of the Parliament, I request that this matter be investigated within a swift timeframe," MP Mohamed Ibrahim's letter stated.
When the member requested an investigation into the case, Home Minister Ali Ihusaan stated yesterday that all members of the Parole Board, comprising representatives from various institutions, have been removed.
Ihusaan stated that the unlawfully granted parole to Ibrahim has been revoked, and he has now been taken back to prison.
Minister Ihusaan stated that while three sentences of 12 years and six months have been imposed on Ibrahim, he is eligible to apply for parole upon completing six years and three months. The minister stated that the Parole Board did not act in accordance with the law when calculating that period.
When Ibrahim was sentenced, about four years he spent in remand custody during the trial of that case were deducted from the prison sentence. Therefore, in calculating the period eligible for parole, the Parole Board looked at eight years, which is the sentence period he needs to serve after deducting that duration. He has spent five years and 11 months in prison throughout the entire case.
The minister stated that granting parole to drug traffickers is also contrary to government policies. However, the minister stated that he does not believe this decision was made by the Parole Board members intentionally with ill intent, and that the members were not dismissed for being found guilty.
The government has taken these steps following media reports on the release of Ibrahim on the first of this month and the public criticism directed at the matter.
