Two to be charged in connection to the murder of 13-year-old

Prosecutor General’s Office has decided to press charges against two individuals in connection to the 13-year-old boy who was found murdered and dumped in a suitcase in the Maldivian capital last June.

In a press conference held this afternoon, Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem had noted that two arrests were made in connection to the case; a 17-year-old Maldivian male and a 27-year-old Maldivian male.

The 27-year-old whose identity has been confirmed as N. Landhoo, Bageechaage, Ibrahim Zihan, is facing a total of 13 charges in connection to seven offenses. If the charges are proven in court – Zihan is expected to face a 100-year long jail sentence.

Accordingly, the charges Zihan is facing are:

•       One charge of voluntary homicide
•          Five charges of unlawful sexual contact with a minor 
•          One charge of drugging a minor in order to have sexual relations
•          One charge of grooming a minor in order to have sexual relations
•          One charge of unlawful restraint of a person
•         One charge of abuse of a human corpse
•         One charge of using a minor to commit a criminal offense              

Shameem highlighted that the remaining two charges Zihan is facing are in relation to another case. 

Meanwhile, the 17-year-old is only facing murder charges as per Shameem. 

Speaking at today’s press conference, Shameem described the murder of the 13-year-old boy as "disturbing" and as something which should have never happened in the Maldives. 

“I do not believe that this to be an easy case due to the disturbing nature in which the murder had taken place. This is something which should have never happened in the Maldives,” he had said. 

In this regard, Shameem stressed that he would not allow individuals who commit crimes using minors – to get away with it.

“This just cannot be done. I will not let there be a chance for people to do things this way while I am in this position. Even if there is the littlest room to press charges against a person involved in such a crime – we will press charges,” Shameem had said.

The 13-year-old boy was reported missing by his family on June 20. The police were investigating the case as a possible kidnapping, when the Hulhumale' police received a report on the evening of June 21 of a child being tortured in the restricted area of Hulhumale' Phase II, prompting the police to search the area.

His body was found dumped in a suitcase in the lagoon northeast of Hulhumale’ Phase II at 02:38 am on June 22.

The young boy's body was sent to Trivandrum, India, for a postmortem two weeks later, on July 5.

His body was transported back to the Maldives and buried on July 12.