Court acquits man after ruling fingerprint evidence insufficient to prove Male' shop burglary

A man arrested for breaking into a phone shop last year and stealing phones and cash has been acquitted of all charges.

Hassan Shan, of H. Fenthilage, Male' City, was arrested in connection with the burglary. The incident occurred on October 11 last year at 3:30 am, when a man entered a tech shop on Maaveyo Magu by breaking the toilet ventilation window on the first floor and stole several items. Seven Samsung and Nokia phones, three Huawei MatePad tablets and MVR 2,000 from the cash drawer were taken.

The Prosecutor General’s Office charged Shan with theft and damage to property. Shan pleaded not guilty to both charges. The prosecution submitted CCTV footage and a forensic fingerprint report as evidence. Police testified that although CCTV showed a man entering the shop, a video analysis report could not be prepared because the suspect was masked and the shop was dark.

The fingerprint report stated that a print found on the outside of a cardboard box in the office section matched Shan’s right index finger. However, Judge Ibrahim Zihunee noted that the box was a movable item that could have been relocated at any time. The prosecution could not prove when the box was brought into the shop or who handled it, nor could it establish that no one else touched it.

The court ruled that relying solely on a fingerprint found on mobile property is insufficient to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, even if it matches the police database. As a result, the court found that the charges of theft and damage to property were not proven to the standard required under Section 51(h) of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Shan was acquitted in this case, though he has previous arrest records for using invalid bank slips and stealing engine parts.