Siraj: Tonight’s verdict was not fair, will appeal

Lawyer Moosa Siraj representing the former Vice President Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Gafoor, who was sentenced to ten years in prison tonight for the possession of two fire arms and explosives, has said that the verdict delivered tonight was not a fair one and intends to appeal the case.

Talking to the press after the sentencing, lawyer Siraj said that the Criminal Court did not give enough time to prepare for the trial and his client does not believe it was a fair verdict.

Siraj said the witness testimonies in the trial were taken in open court but the hearing for the closing statements and the sentencing were behind closed doors and Adheeb does not believe doing it in open court would be a threat to national security.

He also conveyed his client’s concerns about impeding the rights of journalists to confirm the proceedings of a trial.

The verdict from the Criminal Court tonight said that witness testimonies prove that Adheeb was in possession of firearms and the testimony of one of the three witnesses prove that Adheeb was in possession of a pistol before 1 May 2015.

The verdict also said that Adheeb claimed that the testimonies were given for political motives but have been unsuccessful in proving it.