Court denies request by Shaan's defence to conceal witness testimony

At today's hearing for the murder of Dr Afrasheem Ali against Ali Shaan, Criminal Court made a procedural decision to hear the witnesses presented by the defence in an open court.

The request to conceal defence witness testimonies was made by Ali Shaan's defence lawyer Abdulla Haseen.

The responsibility to protect the witnesses who testify on behalf of the defence falls on the State, and interest of the public trumps personal gain, the Judge said. He also said that there is no precedent to conceal defendant witnesses, and the current situation does not call for the court to set a new precedent.

Ruling that the identities and testimony of the witnesses cannot be concealed, the Judge cited Article 43 (k) of the Constitution, which states that the constitutional order, the law, and the rights and freedoms of all citizens must be upheld by the Prosecutor General.

Concluding the hearing, the Judge announced that the court will hear witnesses presented by the defendant in its next hearing.

Prominent religious scholar and parliamentarian Dr Afrasheem Ali was found brutally murdered in the stairwell of his house, H. Funvilu around 2:00 a.m. on the morning of 1 October 2012.