Terrorism charges have no basis in fact: Ex-CP Areef

Former Police Commissioner Ahmed Areef has said that the terrorism charges against him have no basis in fact.

He said this at Sunday’s preliminary hearing at the Criminal Court.

At the hearing, the defense stated that they were not clear on the charges and after the state prosecutors explained them, Areef said that he has never done anything illegal in his 29 years in service and therefore deny the charges.

The state has presented 31 pieces of evidence, mostly statements from police officers, and most of the statements and evidence has been made secret. The defense said that it was the right of the accused to receive details of the statements without disclosing the officers’ names. The judge said that he will speak with the Prosecutor General and try to get the statements from the defense.

The defense also raised some procedural objections. One being that the PG office requested that one Criminal Court judge be made to preside over the trials of the nine accused of terrorism charges. In response, the state prosecutor said that the request was made since the same evidence is being put forth by the state in all the terrorism trials. However, the state prosecutor could not cite any law granting them the right to make such a request.

Judge Ahmed Hailam, who is presiding over the terrorism cases of all the nine accused, said the court has decided to assign one judge to all the cases since the same evidence is being put forth by the state for all the trials and because the other judge who had also presided over some of the hearings is now busy with other cases.

The judge concluded that the terrorism charges against Areef will be moved forward.

The defense has requested the court to give them two weeks to present their evidence due to the upcoming fasting month of Ramadan. However, the judge gave them three days, same as the others accused. The judge said that the defense should hand over the documents before May 20, 12am, taking into account the public holidays.

Areef is being charged with conspiring to overthrow the government since 2017 using his authority as the police commissioner. The state has also accused him of using some officers against other officers when the Supreme Court issued its order on February 1 to release nine political prisoners and reinstate 12 opposition MPs. He is also accused of creating public unrest, as well as influencing the state and government.

If found guilty, he may face a prison sentence of 17 to 20 years.