According to Vnews, the verdict issued by the lower courts on Ibrahim Shafaz Abdul Razzaq (Safa) who was apprehended under the charges of running a big drug network in the country has been annulled on Monday, eventually freeing him from his prison sentence.
Vnews reported that the verdict was annulled under the appeal case lodged by his family to the Supreme Court. The verdict by the lower courts stated that Safa had to serve a maximum of 18 years in prison.
Criminal Court issued their verdict, stating that he has to serve 18 years in prison in addition to a fine of MVR 75,000 back in 2013.
High Court's verdict states that the documents submitted to the court proving that a money transaction had occurred between someone in a foreign country through Western Union was acquired unlawfully without a court order, hence they could not be of any use in the court. It added that the transaction had occurred in 2006, while Safa's phone calls were traced in 2011 and noted the time gap between the two actions.
High Court's verdict further added that the evidences put forward by the state against Safa are not enough to prove the crime and that they do not meet the requirements for evidences as stated in the Constitution of the Maldives.
In addition to Safa, five others were sentenced to prison by the lower courts in 2013. However, two of them had already been freed by the High Court. They were freed on the grounds that Police had collected their evidence unlawfully.
Sentence issued on Safa annulled and released
