Court schedules sentencing hearing over Rilwan's abduction case

Criminal Court has scheduled a sentencing hearing in the case regarding alleged abduction of Journalist Ahmed Rilwan for Thursday.

The hearing to sentence the accused, Aalif Rauf native to capital city Male’ and Mohamed Nooradeen native to Gaaf Dhaal Vaadhoo island, has been scheduled to commence at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday.

The last hearing in the case was held on the 24th of July where the state charged Rauf and Nooradeen with terrorism for abducting the journalist on the 08th of August 2014 in front of his apartment building in Male’s suburban extension Hulhumale’. The two had given their summary statements at the hearing.

Presiding over the case is former Chief Judge at the Criminal Court, Adam Arif.

Also giving the summary statement, state prosecutor Aishath Mohamed had in Tuesday’s hearing said that they had presented 29 pieces of evidence against the accused and that the witness testimonies prove the suspects had taken a red car from Male’ to Hulhumale’ a few days prior to Rilwan’s disappearance, having in a later date taken a red car from Hulhumale’ back to Male’. State prosecutor Mohamed also said that witnesses had confirmed that a man’s shriek was heard near Rilwan’s residence on the night of his disappearance and that some saw a man being taken away in a red car having left a knife at the scene.

Mohamed added that DNA evidence was in the form of a hair strand inside the car and it had matched with Rilwan’s mothers. She said that Rilwan’s family members have testified that they had never entered the car and that therefore the hair most likely came from Rilwan.

State Prosecutor further said that although a chain of custody report had not been submitted, a document relating to the report had been submitted at court. A chain of custody report references a document or paper trail showing the seizure, custody, control, transfer, analysis and disposition of evidence.

Attorney of the accused, Nooruh Salaam Abu Bakur had said that Rilwan’s disappearance was a large conspiracy and that the conviction of two people will not hide the fact. He went on to say that the MPS did not properly investigate the case and that negligence had been observed on the Prosecutor General’s side as well.

Salaam said that while the state claims that Rilwan was kidnapped using Rauf’s car, the police had ignored the defense’s request to obtain CCTV footage of the location where the car was kept, going on to say that a forensic report of the knife that was supposedly found at the scene has not been presented to the court either.

Salaam further said that the police had not later attempted to find where the car carrying Rilwan had disappeared to and that none of the witnesses testified seeing Rauf or Nooradeen involved in any act of suspicion.

The defense attorney stressed that none of the witnesses had testified seeing the licese plate number even if the likelihood remains that Rilwan was taken away inside the car, adding that the police had also failed to provide the registration documents confirming the date in which the DNA evidence was found inside the car as well.

Consecutively, Salaam had requested from the judge to conclude that the accused be freed due to lack of evidence.

Three were charged with terrorism over Rilwan's abduction in general, however, two are now being tried after the third suspect, Mohamed Suaid was reported dead after fleeing to Syria to join in the conflict.

Responding to the state prosecutor’s claim that a chain of custody report was not provided, however, a document regarding the report was provided, Judge Arif said that although the document was sent to court, it was not presented to the court proceeding.