Man with record for theft claims he got stolen motorcycle from a ‘friend’

A man detained from Male’ on suspicion of stealing a motorcycle denied the allegations against him at his remand hearing last weekend, claiming that the vehicle in question was given to him by a friend.

Mohamed Shafeeu, 42, Thoonufilige, S. Hithadhoo, was brought before the Criminal Court for his remand hearing on Friday.

Court documents show Shafeeu has a record for prior arrests in theft cases.

At his remand hearing, Shafeeu told the court that he got the stolen motorcycle he was caught driving from a “friend”, and was not aware it was a stolen vehicle. He also asked for time to appoint a lawyer.

But the investigation officer told the court that while Shafeeu claims he got the stolen vehicle from a friend, he was unable to explain who the “friend” was or provide contact information for them.

The investigation officer also noted that Shafeeu has a pre-existing record for theft, and was detained for driving a stolen motorcycle as recently as back in May.

The court decided there was sufficient evidence against Shafeeu, and remanded him in police custody for 15 days.

Crime Statistics released by police show the Maldives has been a month-on-month increase in thefts and robberies this year, with 310 such cases reported in May alone.