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Maldives ex-chief prosecutor gets 17 years for forged pres warrant

Mohamed Visham
10 June 2016, MVT 14:16
Former PG Muhuthaz flashes the victory sign as he is led away by prison official after he was sentenced to 17 years in prison for conspiring to kidnap the president. MIHAARU PHOTO
Mohamed Visham
10 June 2016, MVT 14:16

Maldives' former chief prosecutor Muhuthaz Muhsin was convicted of terrorism and sentenced to 17 years in prison after the court found him guilty of forging warrant to arrest the president.

The arrest warrant was issued from the Alif Dhaal Maamigili magistrate court in February. Former prosecutor general Muhuthaz  had been charged with terrorism while the chief magistrate of the court Ahmed Nihan also faces abuse of power charges.

Prosecutors claim Muhsin had traveled to a magistrate court on the island of Maamigili in Alif Dhaal Atoll at 3:30am on February 7 to seek a fake warrant against the president.

Muhsin’s lawyers said he had only traveled to Maamigilli on the orders of senior police officers, and had no intent of securing a fake warrant.

However, the chief criminal judge Abdul Baaree Yoosuf presiding over the case ruled that the defence had been unable to provide sufficient evidence to prove that the order came from the police.

"Muhuthaz had conspired to kidnap the president and exert undue influence on the government," the verdict read.

The magistrate Ahmed Nihan was also scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday but the hearing was suddenly cancelled.

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