HAVEERU DAILY NEWS ARTICLE 10 MARCH 2005
http://www.haveeru.com.mv/
Quick Translation
ABETMENT IN INTENTIONAL MURDER NOT PROVEN AGAINST ADAM MOHAMED
10 March 2005
Mohamed Shaheeb and Adam Haleem, Haveeru News Services
In the case of harming and killing Hassan Evan Naseem of Asia of Maafannu
District of Male while he was serving a sentence in prison, the Criminal
Court on Wednesday passed a not proven verdict against Adam Mohamed of Dihi
of Maafannu District of Male’ whom the State charged for Abetment in
Intentional Murder. Judge Abdullah Areef said despite the fact Captain Adam
Mohamed was the highest authority, the Officer in Charge, in maintaining
security in the Prison at that time, when a group of the NSS [National
Security Service] entrusted to maintain security in Maafushi Prison,
tortured Evan Naseem in various ways and killed him in the Prison Range on
the night of 19 September 2003, there was insufficient evidence to prove
Intentional Murder upon him.
However the Judge said that it was proven that Evan was taken out of Jail
Block C on that night in connection with a list given by Adam Mohamed and
therefore because Disobedience to Order under article 88 (a) of the Penal
Code was proven upon Adam Mohamed, having ruled to imprison the accused for
6 months for this the Judge was concluding the lawsuit.
The following is the verdict passed on Adam Mohamed by the Court
“… the Court having considered the charge; given that the Court failed to
identify that Hassan Evan Naseem of Asia of Maafannu District of Male was
involved in any unrest perpetuated in Maafushi Jail Block C on 19 September
2003;
despite the fact that Adam Mohamed claimed that he was unaware nor did he
order to bring out Hassan Evan Naseem along with those who caused unrest in
Block C on that day;
acknowledging the fact that Adam Haleem admitted that Adam Mohamed handed
him a list of people to be taken out of their cells;
given that later when he took away the list from Adam Haleem and handed it
over to Abdullah Hassan the names of 12 people were on the list;
given that Hassan Evan’s name was included among these 12 people;
given that Adam Haleem said he did not add any name to the list given to him
by Adam Mohamed;
given that Adnan Hussein of Saimaa-ge of Nellaidoo Island of Haa Dal Atoll
said that he heard Adam Mohamed telling them to bring out Hassan Evan Naseem
from Block C;
given that bringing people to the Range started when Adam Mohamed, having
gone to the OPS Room [Operations Room], was viewing the scene from the CCTV;
having considered the manner in which the incident took place, it cannot be
deemed that taking Hassan Evan Naseem from his cell to the Range was
conducted without the orders of Adam Mohamed;
since taking Hassan Evan Naseem to the Range while he was detained in Prison
was conducted against established principles;
determining that the offence proven upon Adam Mohamed is Disobedience to
Order
having sentence Adam Mohamed for 6 months imprisonment as the punishment for
the offence of Disobedience to Order according to article 88 (a) of the
Penal Code;
the lawsuit is concluded having determined that the charge of Abetment in
Intentional Murder pressed against Adam Mohamed by the State has not been
proven to the Court”.
In the trial that started at 10.20 in the morning on Thursday, having
presented the précis statement of Adam Mohamed’s lawsuit, Judge Abdulla
Areef passed the verdict and concluded the case at 11.05.
When the verdict was passed Husnu Suood, the lawyer of Adam Mohamed, came up
to him and shook hands with him. However no signs of joy were seen on the
face of Adam Mohamed, who also advocated on his own during his trial
proceedings.
About 30 people attended on Thursday to hear the verdict of the trail
conducted under heavy security in the Faashnaa Hall at the Durbar House. One
third of the capacity of the Hall was filled.
On the 24th of last month, the Criminal Court convicted 8 people to death in
connection with torturing and killing Evan in Prison. Out of the 12 people
charged for Intentional Murder by the State 4 people were acquitted on that
day.
ENDS