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Sunday 05 May 2024
LOCAL EDITION
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LOCAL EDITION
Security forces at the scene of an explosion outside the residence of Parliament Speaker, former President Mohamed Nasheed on May 6, 2021. (Sun Photo/Fayaz Moosa)
The Criminal Court is scheduled to deliver its verdict in the trial against six people charged in the 2021 IED attack on Parliament speaker, former president Mohamed Nasheed before the end of August.
The terror attack targeting Nasheed with a homemade remote-controlled IED took place on May 6, 2021. Nasheed sustained multiple shrapnel wounds, while three members of his security detail and two bystanders sustained minor wounds.
The May 6 trial has produced only one conviction, that against Adhuham Ahmed Rasheed, Hiyaa, V. Thinadhoo, who confessed to detonating the IED. He signed a plea deal with the prosecution and received a reduced sentence of 23 years in prison in 2021.
Total nine people were charged in connection to the May 6 attack, including Adhuham. The other defendants are:
Charges against six of the defendants – Mujaz, Thahmeen, Haisham, Nazim, Fahumy and Is’haq - were read during the hearing Wednesday.
All six pled “not guilty”.
After hearing the plea, Judge Soffath Habeeb said the court has shared the trial schedule with the prosecution and defense.
He said that there are eight hearings scheduled; four of which will be held to hear testimony from state witnesses. Two will be held to hear testimony from witnesses for the defense, one to hear the closing arguments, and the fourth and final to issue the verdict.
“We expect to issue the verdict on August 31 and have scheduled a hearing as such,” said Soffath.
He said the court needs cooperation from the prosecution and the defense to hold the hearings in accordance to schedule.
“If a hearing is cancelled due to the fault of the court, a hearing will be held between two dates,” he said.
He also urged both the prosecution and the defense to ensure their witnesses attend court.
