Sha Alom Mia (Salim) a Bangladeshi national and the prime and only suspect in the murder of Mahmood Aboobakuru pleaded guilty at the court today.
Local businessman Mahmood Aboobakr was found murdered inside a water well in an abandoned house in ADH. Dhangethi on the afternoon of October 14th after he was reported missing.
Maldives Police Service, after an initial investigation, arrested Salim as the prime suspect. Salim was charged with two crimes in connection to the death; murder with intent and abuse of a corpse.
Salim requested a plea deal with a lighter sentence, however, the prosecution stated that Mahmood’s family seeks the death penalty and were unable to come to a plea deal agreement.
Salim was appointed a state attorney during today’s hearing as he does not have the financial means to hire a lawyer. He pleaded guilty to all charges and said the confessions were not coerced.
The prosecution said that although Salim has confessed to the crime, they want to proceed to the trial with the submission of evidence. Salim’s lawyer in response said the case should proceed with Salim’s confession to fast track the trial and proceeding with submission of evidence now that there is a confession to the crime is unnecessary.
Judge Shakeel, who is presiding over the case also agreed that the case will be proceeding as a fast-track trial from now on. He announced that the next hearing of the case will be held at 9:30 am on January 26th.
Mahmood was murdered in the house where Salim lived. He lured Mahmood to the house and sought ransom. He was murdered in the dispute after he refused to give the money. Salim stabbed Mahmood multiple times. Salim threw the body over the wall and onto the street, and then carried the body and dropped it into the water well located in the abandoned house at the back of his house.
