First appeal hearing of Tholhath scheduled for tomorrow

The first hearing in the appeal of the ten-year prison sentence that came down of the former Defence Minister, Tholhath Ibrahim Kaleyfaanu for his involvement in the arrest of the Chief Judge of the Criminal Court, Abdulla Mohamed, has been scheduled for tomorrow.

The former Defence Minister was sentenced to ten years in prison on 10 April 2015 after he was found guilty of planning and executing the arrest of Judge Abdulla Mohamed after the President Mohamed Nasheed made the decision to make the arrest.

On 26 April 2015, the case was appealed at the High Court. The first hearing in the appeal is scheduled for 2 p.m. tomorrow.

Tholhath sentenced under Article 6-B of the Anti-Terrorism law of the Maldives. The court passed the lowest sentence allowed for the crime.

In his testimony at court, the witness against the former Defence Minister, MNDF Captain Ihsaan said that Tholhath told him that he would take responsibility for the arrest of Judge Abdulla Mohamed even if he was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Testifying against Tholhath, the current Chief of Defence Force, Ahmed Shiyam said that speaking at an officer level meeting, the former Defence Minister said that even if he was sentenced to 40 years, he would take responsibility for the arrest.

An MNDF Officer who testified at the trial, Ibrahim Rasheed said that in a meeting with MNDF officers, Tholhath said that the Military would not have to take responsibility for the arrest of Judge Abdulla Mohamed and he would personally take responsibility for it.