Shiaau’s death: State request for close-door trial

The state has requested Criminal Court to hold the trial of Ali Shaahil, 23, for the murder of Shiaau Mohamed Saeed, 22.

The young musician was found brutally murdered and dismembered in an apartment on the ninth floor of H. Sheereen Villa on August 6.

Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) has filed five charges against Shaahil, who was notably arrested at the murder scene.

He remains the only one charged in this case and is jailed till the outcome of the trial.

The charges include murder with intent using a sharp-edged weapon.

 Speaking with Sun today, an official from PGO said that a request has been filed to have the entire hearing behind closed doors. However, a decision remains to be made by the Criminal Court regarding this.

Autopsy reports confirmed the injuries inflicted on Shiaau - both before and after her death - had been deliberate, and the police recovered weapons used in the murder, the investigation had suffered setbacks due to the lack of a clear motive for the crime.

Police said Shaahil, while he responded to questions from investigators, refused to speak specifically about the murder. 

Later, Police said that they had unlocked Shaahil’s phone and expected to recover enough evidence from the phone to establish a motive.