Malé, Maldives – High Court of Maldives has acquitted a man arrested in the counter-terrorism operation carried out by Maldives Police Service and Maldives National Defence Force last month.
Last month, police arrested 14 people in an operation in Malé City and Addu City on charges of attempting to carry out a deadly bomb attack to kill several people.
Mohammed Qais, S. Maradhoo Feydhoo / Aza, was arrested under a court order and remanded in custody pending trial.
The High Court today ruled in the case after Qais’s side appealed against the remand order.
The High Court ruled that the intelligence report submitted by the police in the case contained more than one alleged act committed or being committed by Mohammed Qais.
According to the intelligence report, allegations based on Mohammad Qais’s background is identified as factors that may lend weight to the allegation, including intelligence receipt of information regarding a planned attack and activities believed to have been carried out in connection with the attack. The intelligence report also stated that Mohammed Qais had the ability to carry out attacks.
However, the High Court ruled that not a single piece of evidence supporting any of these allegations was included with the report.
“The intelligence report was not accompanied by any corroboration of the contents of the intelligence report filed in this case, and we do not think the lower court properly determined that there was sufficient evidence to remand in custody on the basis of that report alone.” The High Court ruled.
Therefore, the High Court held that the order issued by the Maradhoofeydhoo Magistrate’s Court to remand Qais in custody till the end of the trial is invalid.
The High Court bench of Justices Fathimath Farheeza, Deebanaz Fahumee and Mohammed Faisal heard the case.
