High Court overturns prison sentence for man accused of assault

High Court has overturned the prison sentence issued for Ali Abdulla from V. Felidhoo – accused of physically assaulting a group of individuals with a 6-foot long piece of wood.

Felidhoo Magistrate Court had rules that Ali Abdulla was found guilty of the crime based on witness testimony and evidence submitted by the State, despite him maintaining that his lack of confession.

He was sentenced to four months in prison.

Ali Abdulla appealed the sentence, and High Court noted in their verdict that the man had not confessed to the crime, either during interrogation or trial. And that the State had submitted the statements the two witnesses had given during investigation – and that the two witnesses had not testified against Ali Abdulla and declared him guilty of the crime during the trial.

High Court also said in their verdict that Ali Abdulla had not been given the appropriate resources or time to prepare his defense.

He had not been provided the opportunity to disprove the witness statements, and that there was no proof that he had been allowed to review the documents submitted against him as evidence during the trial.

Judge Ali Sameer, Judge Abdulla Hameed and Judge Abdulla Didi all came to the decision to therefore overturn the prison sentence against him, and declare him a free man.