Wisam acquited of charges against him
Wisam acquited of obstruction charges
Raajje Television's Mohamed Wisam
RaajjeTV’s journalist Mohamed Wisam has been acquited of obstruction charges against him.
In today's hearing, the Court said that the chain of custody of video evidence submitted by prosecutors cannot be verified. The video evidence put forward to the Court contradicted the Prosecution's claim. Additionally, presiding Judge, Ahmed Shakeel decreed that presence of journalists on the secene cannot be deemed as obstructing Police duties.
RaajjeTV's senior videographer, Zareer was arrested with Wisam, and charged with obstruction as well. While Zareer's sentencing hearing was held on February 27, the Court found him guilty of obstruction, and sentenced him to pay a fine of MVR 3,000.
Criminal Court found Wisam guilty of a separate obstruction charge, on January 24, along with journalist Leevaan Ali Nasir, over an arrest made while covering a bomb scare in the capital Male' City in November 2015. They were both fined MVR 28,800 each.
They were found guilty of the charges on December 19, 2016. Prosecutors had requested the Court to sentence both journalists to four months and 24 days in jail, the maximum punishment.
