Shafaz drug conviction overturned

High Court has overturned the Criminal Court ruling against Ibrahim Shafaz Abdul Razzag, M. Lonumidhilige, Malé; of 18 years in prison and a fine of MVR 75,000 for drug dealing and leading a major drug network.

Shafz was found guilty by the Criminal Court of the charge pressed against him by the state, of attempted drug import.

The Criminal Court arrived at this decision based on two pieces of evidence, which were documents provided by Villa Travels showing that Shafaz transferred money to a foreign individual via Western Union Money Transfer, and the recording of a phone call between Shafaz and an individual in Sri Lanka.

The Criminal Court ruling was appealed in High Court by Shafaz. He claimed in the appeal case that the money transfer was a private transaction, and there was no warrant from any court authorising the police to obtain these documents from Villa Travels.

He further said that the money transfer documents were dated 2006, while the phone call between him and the Sri Lankan individual took place in June 2011.

The High Court said in its ruling that thus, the 2006 money transfer documents cannot be used as evidence for this case.

The court said that the only remaining piece of evidence was the phone call recording, which was not sufficient to prove a criminal offence.

High Court has also overturned lower court rulings against two of Shafaz’s accomplices.

Three people remain in prison in relation to this case, after being caught with drugs in a room at H. Fashange, Malé. Out of the three, only Ismail Shaheem, Karankaa Villa, Thaa Thimarafushi, has appealed the lower court ruling against him.