Foiled terror plot: Man released for lack of evidence re-arrested
The High Court granted him bail after Gais challenged the Feydhoo court's order.
By
Mohamed Muzayyin Nazim
Criminal Court has warranted the re-arrest of a man who was released by the High Court for a lack of evidence in connection with a terror attack in which he allegedly planned to kill many people using explosives.
Mohamed Gais, Aazaa/S. Maradhoo Feydhoo was released on bail by the High Court’s order on Sunday, out of the 14 people arrested in the joint operation carried out by the police and the military in Addu and Male in November. On Sunday night, he was re-arrested on a court order.
A police spokesman told Atoll Times on Tuesday that Gais was re-arrested on the orders of the Criminal Court because it was feared that if he was released on bail, it would compromise the safety of the community.
The court had on Monday remanded Gais to judicial custody till the end of the trial.
He was arrested from Addu on 11 November and remanded to judicial custody by the Feydhoo Magistrate Court. The High Court granted him bail after Gais challenged the Feydhoo court's order. Thus:
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The appeal was filed on the ground that the Feydhoo court had only issued the remand on the basis of the intelligence report submitted by the police
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High Court judges also held that a person cannot be detained solely on the basis of intelligence reports without further evidence
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The judges in attendance set aside the detention order of Gais.
A police spokesman told Atoll Times on Tuesday that when Gais was arrested and produced before the Feydhoo court, a search was conducted at his residence and some items suspected to be linked to the case were recovered. However, they were not examined at the time and the report was not submitted to the detention court, the spokesperson said.
It is believed that the Criminal Court decided to keep him in judicial custody on the basis of the other evidence.
Five of the 14 people arrested in connection with the case, who police suspected were running the terror group, a pro-Islamic State group, were detained along with Gais until the end of the trial. The rest have been remanded in police custody for different periods.
A police dog squad was also used in the raid and a chemical used to make bombs was recovered from the spots. Defence Minister Mariya Ahmed described it as the deadliest terror attack in the country in recent history.
