Seven charged in attempted murder of former PG Shameem acquitted over video timestamp discrepancy

All seven men charged with attempted murder in a brutal attack on former prosecutor general Hussain Shameem last year were acquitted last week, over discrepancies in the timestamps on the video footage of the incident – discrepancies that both investigators and prosecutors had reportedly been aware of but failed to address.

Shameem, who was the PG at the time, had been out jogging on a street in Male’ City on the morning of January 31, 2024, when he was attacked with a weapon by two people on a motorbike, outside the Masjid Al-Noor in the Henveiru district of the capital. The PGO alleges that the men attempted to hit Shameem’s head, but the blow landed on his arm as he tried to defend himself.

He fractured his left arm in the attack.

Seven people were arrested and subsequently charged with attempted murder using a dangerous weapon. They are:

• Midhuhath Adam, 24
• Mohamed Jazlan, 22
• Ahmed Maisan Hashim, 20
• Aban Abdul Hannan, 23
• Zayan Naseer, 23
• Shamaal Hussain, 21
• Rajwan Latheef, 22

According to the PGO, all seven had conspired to murder Shameem. Midhuhath carried out the attack, while Jazlan transported him to and from the scene of the crime on the back of a motorbike, and Maisan supplied the motorbike used in the commission of the crime.

Meanwhile, the other four suspects – Rajwan, Shamal, Aban and Zayan – had allegedly waiting in a car and watched as the attack was carried out and then left the scene with the others.

The Criminal Court acquitted all seven on April 14, citing lack of credibility of the prime evidence in the case – CCTV footage of the attack.

The court highlighted discrepancies in the time the incident took place and the timestamps on the submitted video footages.

The court also decided that the prosecution failed to provide an explanation for the discrepancy – which casts doubt over the credibility of the prime evidence that the prosecution’s entire case is based on.

“The main reason why I am forced to find the defendants not guilty is because of the failure to address an issue that could cast doubt over the credibility of the prime evidence submitted by the state to prove a case involving the allegation that an individual in the role of the prosecutor general of the state was attacked in an attempt to kill him,” reads the judgement.

The attack on Shameem had come shortly after the security the police had been providing to him due to a court case ended.

The attack sparked widespread condemnation from both government officials and politicians from the opposition, as well as international groups including the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP).

It also prompted the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) to trengthen Shameem’s security.

Shameem served as the country’s prosecutor general from December 8, 2019 to August 22, 2024 – when he was dismissed by the Parliament in a no-confidence vote.