Man remanded for 20 days in document forgery case

Criminal Court has ordered the 20-day Maldivian man accused of forging and using fraudulent documents

The 40-year-old suspect, who is from an island in Thaa Atoll, was taken into custody on suspicion of document forgery. During a court hearing held on Sunday, the Police requested an extension of his detention to allow further time to complete the ongoing investigation.

The presiding judge approved the remand extension after reviewing evidence submitted by the authorities. The materials presented to the court included the initial incident report, investigative records, witness statements and a forensic report. Registration documents and the suspect’s previous criminal record were also submitted as part of the proceedings.

Criminal Court stated that, under the constitution and the Criminal Procedure Act, sufficient legal grounds exist to believe that releasing the suspect could hinder the investigation. The court further determined that the evidence presented established a reasonable suspicion against the accused.

The court cited the need to protect the integrity of the investigation and the possibility that the suspect could influence witnesses or interfere with investigative procedures if released at this stage as key reasons for maintaining his detention. The individual has been ordered to remain in custody until the 8th of next month.

While the police investigation remains ongoing, no charges against the individual have been proven in court at this time.

Under Chapter 15 of the Maldives Penal Code, document forgery is classified as a serious criminal offence. The offence includes the creation, alteration or fraudulent use of documents with the intention of deceiving others by presenting them as genuine.

With similar cases reportedly increasing in recent times, government institutions and the Maldives Police Service have identified such offences as a priority and are conducting thorough investigations into reported incidents.