Hearings conclude on journalist Rilwan’s abduction case
Both sides gave their summary statements on Tuesday
Missing journalist Ahmed Rilwan with his mother
Criminal Court has concluded hearings on the case regarding the alleged abduction of Journalist Ahmed Rilwan.
The state has charged Alif Rauf and Mohamed Nooradeen with terrorism for abducting the journalist on 8 August 2014 in front of his apartment building in Hulhumale’.
The two gave their summary statements at Tuesday’s hearing.
State prosecutor Aishath Mohamed, also giving the summary statement, said that they have presented 29 evidences against the suspects and that the witness testimonies show that the suspects had taken a car from Male’ to Hulhumale’ a few days before Rilwan’s disappearance and then had taken a red car from Hulhumale’ to Male’ after his disappearance.
She also said that witnesses confirmed that a man was heard yelling near Rilwan’s apartment building on the night of his disappearance and that some saw a man being taken away in a car and a knife at the scene.
She added that DNA evidence was in the form of a hair strand inside the car, which had matched with Rilwan’s mother. She said that Rilwan’s family members have testified that they had never entered the car and that therefore the hair was mostly likely Rilwan’s.
The suspects’ attorney Nooruh Salaam Abu Bakur said that Rilwan’s disappearance was a large conspiracy and that the conviction of two people will not hide that fact. He also said that the police service did not properly investigate the case and that the prosecutor general had also been negligent.
Nooruh Salaam said that while the state claims that Rilwan was kidnapped using Alif Rauf’s car, the police have ignored the defense’s request to obtain the CCTV footage of the location where the car had been kept. He also said that a forensic report of the knife that was supposedly found at the scene has not been presented to the court.
The defense attorney noted that the police did not work to find where the car carrying Rilwan had gone and that none of the witnesses testified seeing Alif or Nooradeen doing anything suspicious. He said that while it is likely that Rilwan was taken away inside a car, none of the witnesses testified seeing the license plate number. He said that the police have not provided the red car’s registration information or documents confirming the date on which the DNA evidence was found inside the car.
Due to these reasons, Nooruh Salaam asked the court to conclude that the two suspects be found not-guilty due to lack of evidence.
Overall, three suspects are being charged over Rilwan’s disappearance, but two are now being tried after the third suspect, Mohamed Suad, reportedly fled to Syria and died.
