Ziyad praises Criminal Court for fair trial

Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Colonel Mohamed Ziyad has said that he was given the opportunity by Criminal Court to defend himself against the charges, to a greater extent than he would have been allowed by a military court.

During a recent interview following his acquittal on terrorism charges related to the arrest of Chief Judge of Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed, Ziyad said that he was happy with the court process.

“I want to note that the same extent of opportunities I would have received had the trial been at a military court - or even better - was accorded by Criminal Court,” he said.

He said that he was allowed by the court to present all evidence he had prepared in his defence.

Ziyad’s lawyer Mazlan Rasheed said that considering the information presented in court, there is no point in taking the case to appeal.

He said that the court granted their requests for more time for preparations and followed all procedures, and ensured that they received a fair trial.

In addition to Ziyad, Minister of Defence Moosa Ali Jaleel was also acquitted on the terrorism charges filed by the state following the arrest of the judge in 2012.