228 people in detention pending outcome of trial

The Prosecutor General has said 228 people are currently in detention pending the outcome of trial.

Disclosing statistics related to the PG Office on Sunday, Hussain Shameem said out of the 228 individuals, 68 are in police custody while 34 people are detained at Dhoonidhoo jail. Another 38 people are in police custody in different locations across the Maldives. Those in police custody have remained in detention for about 113 days on average, he said. Out of these cases, 55 cases are in the preliminary stage in court.

Shameem said a further 160 people are held at Maafushi Jail. They have remained in detention for 658 days on average.

The PG said those in the custody of the police and Maldives Correctional Services are suspected of serious crimes such as drug trafficking, rape, and murder. There is no influence to either detain or release them, he said.

Shameem said the solution to the increasing number of detainees is to expedite their court cases or release them. However, since they are accused of serious crimes, he said it is vital to deliberate on releasing them carefully. Instead of releasing them, the better option would be to expedite their cases, he added.

'For different reasons, the detention of some of these people is sometimes not reviewed,' the PG said.

Shameem acknowledged delays from the court side in concluding cases as they also have to liaison with investigative authorities and PG Office.

Shameem said the Supreme Court concluded 34 criminal cases since last year, while only 26 cases were concluded in the 12 years before that. Although out of those 34 cases, the PG Office won 34 percent of cases, the success rate for the cases tried over the past two years is 66 percent, he said.