Asif’s prison sentence was commuted by Solih during 2023 presidential campaign

Ismail Asif, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for a murder attempt, had walked free after he had his sentence commuted by then-President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih during his 2023 re-election campaign.

In September 2022, the Criminal Court sentenced Asif to 10 years in prison for stabbing and attempting to murder Ismail Hammad following a verbal dispute that arose among a group of religious extremists on the boat ‘Jaree’ off AA. Maalhos back in 2019.

Asif had stabbed Hammad in his head, face and back before throwing him overboard.

Sun has learnt that Solih commuted Asif’s sentence on September 19, 2023, a couple of days before the presidential runoff elections.

Solih commuted Asif’s sentence to five days, and he walked free on September 25, 2023.

Asif continued to re-offend after he was released from prison.

Last year, he was arrested for attacking his brother’s head with a machete.

He is back in police custody for his alleged involvement in stealing MVR 4 million from a home in Male’ in March.

Solih had also commuted the sentences of former vice president Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Ghafoor and former MMPRC managing director Abdulla Ziyath, who were convicted of embezzlement and money laundering in the multi-million-dollar MMPRC graft scandal, in his last days in office.