Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem has revealed that once the Criminal Court restarts trials, it will begin with trials that have reached the verdict stage.

Speaking during RaajjeTV’s Covid-19 Coverage on Sunday night, the PG expressed concern over the delay in the trial proceedings of those remanded for the remainder of their trials.

In this regard, Shameem highlighted that the PG office is working with the Criminal Court to resolve this issue.

Further, he noted that they will proceed with the ones that are possible to be carried out among these cases, within the ongoing week, through video conferencing that will be joined by the judges bench working from home.

Authorities have made arrangements for those remanded at the prison facility on Maafushi island to be presented to the Maafushi Court for their trials.

As the Criminal Court restarts trials, Shameem noted that cases that have reached the verdict stage and summary statement hearings, will be prioritized. This is followed by cases that are at the witness testimonial stage where officers of the Maldives Police Service, Maldives National Defense Force, state institutions and customs officials are required to be summoned.

These cases will be followed by pre-trial cases, said Shameem.

Welcoming the Criminal Court’s decision to restart trials, the PG earlier took to Twitter, writing that the opportunity must be used to revolutionize how the criminal justice system operates, expedite trials, explore smart solutions and make the process more transparent.