The criminal court has revealed that the court was unable to summon Zahid Rameez, a witness of the defence in Yameen Rasheed's murder trial because they were unable to contact him.

While the name of Zahid Rameez, a former council member of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), was presented as a witness of the defence in Yameen Rasheed's murder trial, the hearing for statements by witnesses of the defence was held on Tuesday.

The judge presiding over the trial, Ali Rasheed Hussain, revealed that the magistrate court of Hithadhoo island of Seenu atoll was instructed to summon Zahid to court and that attempts were made to find his phone number.

Further, attempts to contact him through family was also unsuccessful as they reside abroad in neighbouring Sri Lanka. Hence, despite Zahid living in Male' city, the judge claimed that all attempts to contact him have been unfruitful.

Moreover, the judge revealed that a court order will be issued to present Zahid to court if the defence is able to provide his contact information before the next hearing of the trial scheduled for January 15th.

Zahid has previously been summoned regarding the murder of Yameen Rasheed by the Presidential Commission on Disappearances and Deaths over the death threats he had sent to Yameen via Twitter in 2011 and 2012.

As such, the legal defence team of Haisham has declared that they do not want to present any more witnesses, citing that they were contradictions in the witness statements.

On the other hand, the legal defence team of Zihan Ismail has expressed intent to present additional witnesses at the next hearing. Based on this, the judge stated that a hearing for witness statements will be held on January 15th and an additional hearing will be held on January 30th.

Yameen was stabbed to death at the stairwell of his apartment building, Maafannu Spatula, brutally on 23 April 2017.

Charges for his murder has been levied on Ismail Haisham Rasheed of Annaarumaage of Henveiru ward, Hussain Ziyad of East House in Kolhufushi island, Meemu atoll, Ismail Rasheed of Thaaif, Maafanu ward, Hassan Shifaz of Kudhehige, Maafanu ward, Mohamed Dhifran of Sinbad Ge, Gahdhoo island of Gaaf Dhaal atoll, and Ahmed Zihan Ismail, Iramisk Ge of Maafanu ward.