Witness places Humaam in Shaheed Ali Mosque on the night of Afrasheem

A witness has confessed against Dr. Afrasheem Ali’s murder suspect, Hussain Humaam Ahmed of H. Lobby, that he was seen in Shaheed Ali Mosque in Henveyru, washing his hands and face, sometime after midnight on the 1st of October 2012.

The court hear the witness's testimony as a concealed witness today, with the person’s identity hidden from the public for reasons of safety. The witness said that he had had a cup of coffee with a friend and gone to Shaheed Ali Mosque in Henveyru around 1:20 a.m. on the 1st of October to pray and saw a man furiously washing his hands and face. The witness said that he did not know the man at the time but later realized that it was Humaam when the police had shown him Humaam's photo.

The witness said that Humaam was seen exiting the ablution area of the mosque and that observing Humaam’s actions, he was certain that Humaam had not performed an ablution. He also said that there was nobody else in the mosque by the time he had finished his ablution and entered the mosque area to pray.

“When I went for ablution, I saw a man washing his hands and face, it [his actions] was not ordinary. Back then, I did not know who it was. The next day, I heard that Dr. Afrasheem Ali had been murdered. Then I told a friend of what had happened that night. He was the one who took it to the police. They took me to the police station and showed me about 50 photographs. From that, I showed them the one that looked most similar to the person who I had seen that night. The person sitting in court today is that man, the man I thought was similar to who I saw that night,” the witness told the court.

The witness also said that he did not notice if the suspect had anything on his skin, or if he was trying to wash something off as he tried to wash his hands and face.

The court also heard a second person’s confession today. The man confessed to seeing Humaam crossing the road at a fast speed near on Boduthakurufaanu Magu near Tascaloosa Café around 12:40 a.m., on the night of the murder.

He said that he had not seen anyone except Humaam on the road in that area that night.

A third witness who confessed today said that he was sitting on his motorcycle near Kudakudhinge Bageecha (children’s garden playground) around 12:07 a.m. on the night of the 1st of October and having a cigarette when he saw Dr. Afrasheem Ali arrive at his house H. Funvilu. He said that the religious scholar was carrying some books and a tie as he entered the house.

Humaam’s defence lawyer Abdulla Haseen told the court today that, between 9:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. on the morning of the 1st, his client was inside Artificial Beach turf area, along with a group of others.

Haseen also presented to the court the names of one Rilwan, another man commonly named Maththu, one Lugman Ismail, and two other men commonly named Hassanko and Naman, as the others who he says, have shared company with Humaam during the period in which the police say the murder was committed.

Humaam however said that one of people presented by his lawyer as a witness, is dead.

The judge said that a decision will be made later on whether the court will accept the defence’s list of witnesses as evidence.

Humaam told the court today that he has been subjected to psychological torture by the police since being arrested for Dr. Afrasheem’s murder, although he has not been abused physically.

“I have not been tortured since being arrested for Dr. Afrasheem’s murder. But I was abused in early 2012,” Humaam said.

Humaam has earlier accused police officer who handled him of subjecting him to abuse. He had also revealed the names and ranks of the police officers who he accused.

In reply to Humaam’s statements accusing of being abused, the State prosecution said a person subjected to adversely psychologically torture will not be able to explain things in such detail.

Humaam also repeated his plea in court that he was not guilty and that his earlier confession was an act of the devil, that God almighty stands witness that he was not the person who killed Dr. Afrasheem Ali.

“Myself and God will know, that I did not kill Afrasheem,” Humaam said.

Humaam had confessed in court to giving a separate statement earlier during his extension of detention hearing, in which he had confessed to the murder of Dr. Afrasheem Ali. However, Humaam had said the confession was forced by the police.