7 charged for recruiting minors in Zayan's murder
An online game was used to recruit children to gangs.
By
Aman Haleem
The Prosecutor General's Office (PG) on Sunday filed a charge sheet in the Criminal Court against seven people for allegedly recruiting minors in the murder of Mohamed Zayan, which followed a series of clashes between two street gangs in Feydhoo of Addu.
On 2 June, 21-year-old Mohammed Zayan was killed at his home Solid, S. Feydhoo when a gang barged in. Those arrested in connection with the killing of Zayan belong to the 'Maguhdhoo’ group in Addu.
According to local sources, a gang operating in Male affiliated with the Maguhdhoo group, had ordered the killing of Zayan. Confirming this later, the police also said that Zayan's murder was linked to a gang in Male.
Prosecutor General (PG) Hussain Shameem wrote on his blog:
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Six charged with eight counts of instigating juvenile crimes
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The remaining accused faces four counts of juvenile offences
Shameem wrote that all these charges can be proved separately with evidence. They are likely to face up to 24 years in jail if the charges against them are proved, the PG said.
Zayan's death is a case in which a maximum number of people have been charged in a single case for committing a criminal offence via juveniles.
Police have so far arrested 11 people in connection with Zayan's murder. Four juveniles were among them. The juveniles involved in the case are:
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Two 15-year-olds
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A 16-year-old
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A 17-year-old
The PG office had sent a chargesheet against the four juveniles in October. One of the young boys was charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. The other three were charged with deliberate involvement in the murder of a man.
Two juveniles involved in the case have confessed to the crime. Therefore, under the Juvenile Justice Act, they are allowed diversion to keep them away from the clutches of crime.
Apart from the children involved in Zayan's death, the police have revealed the names of the rest. According to the police, all of them have criminal records.
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Ahmed Shuaau (24), Dhirimaage/S. Feydhoo
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Abdulla Shiaau Rasheed (22), Dhirimaage/S. Feydhoo
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Ailish Ali (19), Fufoomaage/S. Feydhoo
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Abdulla Nizar (28), Kaamaragage, S. Feydhu
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Ahmed Abdulla (25), Karanfooge, S. Feydhoo
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Yaish Anwar (19), Kadhurumaage, S. Hithadhoo
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Ahmed Nabeel (34), Sunshine, S. Feydhoo
Apart from the recruitment charges, one of them, Yaish and Ailish, have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder using a sharp object. The remaining five are charged with aiding and abetting the killing of a person using a sharp object.
In an earlier press conference in the case of Zayan's death, the police also revealed certain things about the manner in which the children involved in the case were recruited. According to the police:
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An online game was used to recruit children to gangs
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It's during the game that they interacted with the kids, encouraging them in tasks
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Mobile data, motorcycles, and phones were gifted
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Renting out apartments for the juveniles
"Children were groomed and exploiters bought them bicycles, sometimes motorcycles, in some cases made coffee shops for them or took them to restaurants for coffee. In some cases, children in the age group of 16-18 years were kept in rented out separate spaces. We’ve noted that all this has been going on in their recruitment,” Chief Superintendent of Police Ahmed Shameem, commander of the southern region of police, pointed out at the press conference.
