Attorney General’s Office has notified High Court that Fathimath Hana, who has been convicted of murdering lawyer Ahmed Najeeb and sentenced to death, does not qualify for assistance from the State for appointing a lawyer to represent her in court.

Following this information by the State Prosecutor at the hearing of the appeal case in High Court today, Judge Abdul Ghanee Mohamed said that the court had decided to allow Hana to appoint a lawyer at her own cost.

When asked, Hana said that she would need three months to appoint a lawyer.

The State Prosecutor said that he did not object to giving Hana three months to appoint a lawyer, but requested the court to hold proceedings as soon as possible in the event that Hana is able to appoint a lawyer sooner.

The Judges asked Hana to inform the court as soon as she appoints a lawyer, and Judge Ghanee said that this is the last opportunity for Hana to appoint a lawyer.

Hana’s former boyfriend Murrath, who has also been convicted by Criminal Court of the murder of Ahmed Najeeb, has also appealed his death sentence in High Court.

Murrath earlier confessed that he and Hana tied Ahmed Najeeb to an office chair in a house called Masroorage, and killed him by stabbing him in the neck on the night of 1 July 2012.

Hana has also confessed to the crime in Criminal Court.