Court gives three days for decision on charges against former reporter

Criminal Court has given police three days to make a decision on pursuing charges against a former reporter arrested on suspicion on engaging in homosexual acts.

Abdulla Naseer Ibrahim, 28, was arrested by police on July 29.

The court granted a three-day extension to his remand on Tuesday.

According to court documents, police were given three days to make a decision on pursuing charges against Naseer.

Police were instructed to share its decision on whether it will submit the case to the Prosecutor General’s Office for charges, or any other decision it makes regarding the case to the court.

Naseer’s arrest came after a video purportedly showing him performing oral sex on another man leaked last June. The video was one of many leaked online – which has been linked by police to a blackmail ring.

Other suspects arrested in connection to leaked sex videos include Ahmed Nazim Abdul Sattar, 46, a prominent lawyer and younger brother of Parliament speaker, former president Mohamed Nasheed, former Nolhivaram MP Mohamed Nasheed (Colonel Nasheed), 45, and Abdul Rahman Rafeeu, 35, a police officer working for the Drug Enforcement Department (DED).

Nazim, Colonel and Rafeeu were on videos purportedly showing them having sex with MD Alamgiri, a Bangladeshi sex worker. All four were arrested in July.

Nazim, Colonel and Rafeeu were released from custody last week, after the police concluded their investigation and submitted the case to the PGO for charges.