Addu City, Maldives – 2 suspects involved in the 2016 murder of Hithadhoo businessman, Ali Abdullah have been found not guilty by the Criminal Court.
Mauooz Mohamed and Mubaarik Mohamed were both charged under Section 110 (a) in reference to Section 30 (d) of the Penal Code of the Maldives, but have been found not guilty.
While the state used 27 anonymous witnesses against both defendants, while Mauooz had presented 7 witnesses and Mubaarik had presented 6 witnesses for their defence in hearings that proceeded in secret at Criminal Court of the Maldives.
The verdict has now been revealed on the Criminal Court’s website, which states that the charges pressed against Mauooz and Mubaarik could not be proven without a doubt by the prosecution.
Another individual charged with the murder, Ahmed Ibrahim Didi who was a nephew to the deceased was sentenced to 12 years and six months in jail in October of 2020 and was convicted of the crime with irrefutable evidence against him under section 110, part (d) of the Penal Code according to the authorities.
Ali Abdullah who was found murdered in a taro farm behind Hithadhoo School in Hithadhoo, Addu City, on March 02, 2016. Four men were arrested in connection to the murder of the business man who was running a shop named ‘Two Wave’ at the time of his death. However, only three were charged with his murder.
After preliminary investigations revealed on March 29, 2016 during a press conference held by the department of the Department of Serious and Organized Crimes, lead by Superintendent of Police Abdullah Shaheeth, that the murder was premeditated and that the main motive of the crime was the greed for wealth.
It was further revealed that the area in which the body of Ali Abdullah was found was later dug up by Police and that evidence of Ali Abdullah’s body being dragged in the area was discovered.
One among the four who were arrested for Ali Abdullah’s murder was reported to have been cooperating with authorities on the investigation, having have directed police towards MVR 40,000 in cash buried inside his house.
