No conviction for Irufan as court says evidence falls short in Fathir murder trial

The Criminal Court has ruled that the charges raised against Irufan Rushdee, 21, of M. Kuriruge, Male' City, in connection with the murder of 14-year-old Fathir Mohamed, were not proven beyond reasonable doubt.

Irufan was charged with aiding and abetting the murder of a person using a sharp object or dangerous weapon. After hearing the case, the Criminal Court concluded that the prosecution had failed to establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt, as required under Article 51(h) of the Constitution of Maldives, which guarantees the presumption of innocence.

The court has not released the trial report, citing the involvement of a minor. As a result, the detailed reasoning behind the court’s decision remains unclear.

Irufan Rushdee had previously been wanted by the Presidential Commission on Missing and Murdered Persons. According to the commission’s records, Irufan had not officially returned to Maldives since leaving the country in 2015, yet he was seen at a murder scene in 2016.

Irufan was arrested after the MNDF received information that a speedboat named “Blue Wave” was running low on fuel and had docked at GDh. Thinadhoo. Four individuals aboard the vessel were taken to the Thinadhoo Police Station for questioning due to suspicious behaviour, and it was during this process that Irufan was located and arrested.