GDh. Gadhdhoo, Maldives – After GDh. Gadhdhoo court tossed out a 149Kg drug case stating that the case was not sent to the court during the stipulated period to be tried, the issue has been submitted to the Maldivian Parliament to investigate the court’s decision.
Member of Parliament for North Maafannu Constituency and Parliamentary Judiciary Committee Member Imthiyaz Fahmy stated in a tweet that the issue has been submitted to Parliament yesterday, adding that it was discussed to investigate the apparent neglect by the court and to make involved individuals accountable for this decision.
Hearings on the case were held earlier at the Criminal Court, but was ceased after a procedural point was raised during the preliminary stage. It was decided that the case should be submitted to a court in the area where the crime was committed, and the issue was subsequently tossed out of court.
While the criminal court’s decision has not been investigated by the Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office, they have not decided whether they will appeal the later decision to reject the case by GDh. Gadhdhoo court.
The state had pressed charges on five individuals after the police seized over 149Kg of drugs buried in an uninhabited island called Hulhuvaarulu in GDh. Atoll in 2019. Four were charged with trafficking diamorphine, while one was charged as an accomplice to trafficking diamorphine. These individuals are;
- Ahmed Aneel, 34, Gahaakoalhi, G. A. Kondey
- Ahmed Haameem, 42, Edhuruge, G. Dh. Gadhdhoo
- Shafeez Mohamed, 35, Romance, G. A. Kondey
- Yamih Hameed, 23, Edhuruge, G. Dh. Gadhdhoo
- Ali Shakir, 30, Dhikhshan Villa, G. A. Nilandhoo
The drugs found in Hulhuvaarulu include opiates and cannabis. The opiates weighed 96.36 kilos and the cannabis weighed 47.27 without the packing. The street value of the drugs is estimated to be above MVR 260 million.
