Charges filed against Gabbarey and two others in assault on MP Zareer

The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) has filed charges against three people for the assault on Mathiveri MP Hassan Zareer in a café in Male’ earlier this year.

In a statement on Wednesday, the PGO said the charges were filed with the Criminal Court on September 19.

Zareer had been at the Habibi Café’ and Bistro in Galolhu district of Male’ City, when he was attacked by a group of men armed with weapons, including sharp-edged weapons.

The incident took place at around 03:30 am on May 1.

Zareer sustained head injuries in the attack, and was hospitalized at the ADK Hospital.

According to the PGO, the main suspects, Ibrahim Abdulla (Gabbarey) was charged with assault with a deadly weapon to cause grievous injury, while the other two suspects – Ahmed Avsham and Mulaaim Mohamed – were charged as accomplices.

Gabbarey was arrested in the case on May 23, after he surrendered to the police, a week after the authority sought public assistance to locate him.

He was initially remanded in custody of the police for 30 days.

However, the Criminal Court released him, along with Avsham and Mulaaim, on July 6.

Their release was appealed by the state with the High Court, which found the Criminal Court’s decision unlawful.

The Criminal Court was ordered to review of their remand.

And on August 18, Gabbarey was re-arrested, and the Criminal Court ordered him to jail pending the outcome of his trial.

In a surprising move in September, Zareer called on authorities to release Gabbarey, who he described as “a close friend.”