High Court has ruled yesterday that the accused in the murder of Nadheem Ibrahim cannot be held in remand until the completion of the appeal case.
Nadheem was murdered in July, 2017, by a group of perpetrators while he was in Terminal Cafe' in Male'.
The accused in the case are Mohamed Mafaz of Galolhu Shaaraaz, Ali Nifaz of Vidhaathari in Thundi, Laamu Atoll Gan, Hussain Samih of Samantha, Raa Atoll Innamaadhoo, and Mohamed Karam Suhail of Havaas in Gaafu Alif Atoll Gemanafushi.
Criminal Court ruled last year that there is not sufficient evidence to convict the four.
The State appealed the case at High Court, seeking to place the four on remand through out the appeal process.
However, High Court ruled yesterday that the law or regulations do not specify procedures for holding persons in remand during the appeal process. They also noted that although the High Court has previously held persons in remand during appeal processes, the cases differed from the current one.
The High Court's verdict reads that although the State claims that it is seeking remand as the accused may be found guilty at the end of the appeal process, one of the accused, Mafaz, is already serving detention in another unrelated case. The court ruled that the State had not proven sufficiently a need to place the suspects on remand until the end of the appeal process.
The Court ultimately decided that they could not place the four in remand until the end of the appeal process.
The case is being presided over by Judge Hussain Mazeed, with Chief Judge Hussain Shaheed and Judge Mohamed Saleem on the bench.
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