Charges filed against Shahil 145 days after Shiau's murder
Shahil has been charged with homicide, using cannabis, having pornographic content and a further two charges
By
Aman Haleem
Charges against Ali Shahil, the accused in the brutal murder of Shiaau Mohamed Saeed, has been sent to the Criminal Court, 145 days after the crime took place.
Shiaau, 22, was found murdered inside the ninth floor apartment at H. Shireen Villa residence on August 6. On the same night her friend 23 year old Ali Shahil was arrested from the scene of the crime.
The prosecutor general's (PG) office has now filed the charges Shahil for the murder and dismembering of the victim’s body. Charges against him are:
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Murdering a person using a sharp object
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Having pornographic content
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Use of cannabis
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Two charges PG office did not want to disclose with respect to the victim's family
The delay in the investigation process has been attributed to the fact that there had been challenges in establishing a clear motive for the crime as per Maldives Police Service.
Speaking at a press conference in October, Superintendent Hassan Saeed, who heads the serious and organised crime department, said that while there were compelling reasons to believe that Shiaau had been murdered, more evidence would be needed to confirm it.
And the evidence, he had said, can be obtained from the data retrieved from the accused’s smartphone.
