High Court cancels first hearing in Scoop group gang case
Court sources said the hearing was cancelled due to procedural matters that required consideration by the judges.
The High Court has cancelled the first hearing of a petition seeking to declare the ‘Scoop’ group in Addu Hithadhoo an organised criminal group.
The case, filed by the Prosecutor General’s Office, was accepted by the court on 15 January and formally registered. The first hearing had been scheduled for 12:50 pm on Sunday.
Court sources said the hearing was cancelled due to procedural matters that required consideration by the judges. This is the first time a gang determination case hearing has been cancelled at this stage.
The Scoop group has also submitted a petition to the High Court raising procedural issues. These include questions on whether hearings in gang determination cases should be conducted in open court.
The petition notes that a declaration of the Scoop group as a gang could result in future prosecutions against the group. It also raises concerns about whether holding such hearings openly in higher courts could affect related cases in lower courts.
A new date for the hearing has not yet been announced.
In its petition, the Prosecutor General’s Office requested the court to declare the Scoop group a gang and to identify nine individuals as members of the group. The prosecution also asked the court to order the Sports Commissioner to dissolve SKP Sports Club, which is believed to be linked to the group.
In addition, the prosecution sought an order requiring the relevant local authority to remove the words ‘Scoop’, ‘Scoop Kanmathi’ and ‘SKP’ from walls and public places.
This is the first case filed under the Prevention of Gang Crimes and Other Dangerous Crimes Act, which came into force in August last year.
