Hearings concluded in the case against Papa and the two MNDF officers

Hearings have concluded in the case of MNDF officers boarding the Presidential Launch “Finifenma” after the explosion took place.

State brought up charges against the former Head of the Presidential Security, Colonel Ahmed Fayaz Ali Riza (Papa), Head of the MNDF Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Ahmed Thiham and an MNDF officer who worked under them, Moosa Zameer.

Presenting the closing statement at the hearing today, State Prosecutor said that the MNDF officers that boarded the Presidential Launched acted illegally while the law clearly states that the work must be vigilantly.

The Prosecution said that helmet with bodyguards were not used when they boarded and the lack of resources were not informed to the higher ups prior to the boarding.

She said that while evidence collected was put in ordinary plastic packets, assistance from the Maldives Police Service was not sought to acquire evidence bags.

The state said that Fayaz did not secure the crime scene to protect any possible evidence when the Presidential Launch was moved from the scene of the explosion.

In the closing statement by the defence, it was noted that even the testimonies given at the trial show that the helmets available at MNDF for not the best among the safety equipment.

And said that the expert on trial testified that the evidence would not be affected when asked if it would be affected if the evidence was pickup up with gloves and put in ordinary plastic bags.