Court schedules hearing for Sunday to decide on designating "Scoop" as a criminal gang
Authorities have requested that nine individuals involved in this case be legally designated as gang members, marking the first time such a ruling has been sought under the new Gang Violence Prevention Act.
Sports club allegedly affiliated with the "Scoop" gang ordered to be dissolved under the law. | Facebook | Facebook
The High Court has scheduled the commencement of hearings for next Sunday regarding a petition filed by the Prosecutor General’s Office to formally designate "Scoop," a group operating in Hithadhoo, Addu City, as an organized crime group or criminal gang.
The Prosecutor General’s Office filed the case with the High Court on January 15 of this year. An official from the PG Office confirmed to RaajjeMV that the initial hearing has been scheduled for 12:50 PM February 22.
The Prosecutor General's Office filed this case in court following a thorough review of the evidence and recommendations submitted by the police. According to the PG Office, the "Scoop" group meets the legal criteria to be classified as an "organized crime group" under the Prevention of Gang Crimes and Other Serious Offenses Act. The PG Office further stated that the group appears to be actively engaged in ongoing criminal activities.
The Prosecutor General’s Office has petitioned the High Court to formally designate the group operating under the names "Scoop," "Scoop Kanmathi," or "SKP" as a criminal gang. The office requested the court to declare that the group meets the specific criteria for a gang as defined under Section 63 of the Act on Prohibition of Gang-related Crimes and Other Dangerous Crimes.
Furthermore, authorities have requested that nine individuals identified as associates be formally designated as members of the group. This marks the second instance where the police have petitioned the Prosecutor General’s Office to legally declare a specific group as a gang since the enactment of the new Gang Crimes Act.
The Prosecutor General’s Office has stated that the initial case was sent back to the police for further investigation. This decision was made after a review revealed that the investigation had not sufficiently established the legal requirements necessary to formally classify the group as a gang.
If the court rules that this group operating in Addu City is a gang, it could potentially become the first group in the Maldives to be legally designated as such.
