Serial vandal remanded for 30 days over damage to MDP center

The Criminal Court on Monday ordered for the suspect arrested last weekend for damaging the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s main party center in the Maldivian capital to be remanded in custody of the police for 30 days, citing high risk of reoffending given his extensive criminal record for similar offenses

The incident at the MDP Dhandikoshi Jagaha, located in Chaandhanee Magu, was reported to the police at around 01:30 am on Saturday.

The vandal damaged the main door to the center, dislodging one of the metal panels.

The suspect in the case, Mohamed Razeen, 49, M. Star, K. Male’, was arrested on Saturday but released the same day. He was rearrested again under a court warrant on Sunday.

 Razeen was presented before the Criminal Court on Monday, and was remanded in custody of the police for 30 days.

The court order for his remand shows the police submitted statements and CCTV footage against him.

The court deemed him a risk to public safety, citing an extensive criminal record for similar offenses, which it decided puts him at high risk of reoffending.

The court also noted that Razeen has been arrested multiple times recently in cases involving vandalism and destruction of property.

This includes his arrest for allegedly smashing a glass display rack at a café in Male’ City on April 27 – an incident that was caught on CCTV.

And back in December, he was arrested for failure to follow instructions from the police at the Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

Razeen’s 30-day remand period expires on September 3.

The MDP Dhandikoshi Jagaha is not new to acts of vandalism. Back in January, the center was defaced with engine oil.

The latest incident is under further investigation by the police.