Raud unlikely to face long imprisonment

Raud Ahmed Zilal was released from police custody on Thursday following a directive from the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO), which cited that his period in remand had exceeded the likely sentence he would face if convicted.

Raud had been under investigation in connection with an incident involving a young woman who fell from the ninth floor of a building onto the roof of a nearby warehouse. The Maldives Police Service had forwarded two charges to the PGO for prosecution: failure to provide assistance and a drug-related offence.

The first charge, filed under Article 618 of the Penal Code, pertains to failure to assist a person in danger without reasonable cause. This is categorised as a third-degree felony. The base sentence is one month and six days’ imprisonment, with a maximum sentence of three months if the offence is elevated by up to three levels, depending on aggravating factors such as cruelty or refusal of compensation to the victim.

Legal sources indicate that Raud could face a sentence as low as 27 days if mitigating factors—such as cooperating with the investigation or pleading guilty—are applied. Given that Raud had already spent one month and three days in custody, the PGO determined further detention was unwarranted.

The remand timeline is as follows:

Raud is also facing a drug charge. Lawyers familiar with the case stated that due to the absence of a long-term history of drug use, he may be eligible for treatment instead of incarceration. As a result, he is not expected to receive a substantial sentence for the drug charge.

If convicted on both counts, and taking into account time already served in custody, Raud is unlikely to serve additional time in prison.