Maldives Police Services has said the investigation into Dhangethi entrepreneur Mahmood Aboobakuru's murder has been concluded and forwarded for charging next week.
Mahmood, 57, was found murdered inside a well in an abandoned house on the island on October 15. A Bangladeshi national, Shaolam 'Salim' Mia, 29, who worked as a live-in caretaker of an elderly man, was arrested for the murder.
The police held a press conference on Thursday to brief the media on the case. Speaking at the press conference, the Head of Major Crimes Investigation, Chief Superintendent Hassan Shifau, said Shaolam admitted to murdering Mahmood during the investigation and his remand hearing. During the investigation, he admitted to his guilt after items implicating him in Mahmood's murder were discovered buried in the grounds of the home he lived in, a house named Nedhunge.
Providing further details, Shifau said Shaolam used a sharp object to attack Mahmood. While his head took three blows, there were over 30 wounds on his body, he said.
The Head of the police's Serious and Organized Crime Department, Superintendent Hassan Saeed, also spoke during the press and said Shaolam detained Mahmood in Nedhunge for over five hours and attacked him thrice during that period. Saeed said CCTV footage from the night of the murder - recorded between 2 and 3 am- show a man carrying a body on their shoulder. It is believed that the image caught on camera is Shaolam carrying Mahmood's body.
The police said they do not believe Shaola had an accomplice in carrying out Mahmood's murder. His motive was money, and he is also suspected of carrying out a robbery in Dhangethi. The police are investigating the theft.
The police also disclosed that Shaolam is in the Maldives illegally and has not been registered as an expatriate.
'He [Shaolam] has witnessed Mahmood carrying a lot of cash. Many people from the island also say Mahmood carried a large amount of cash, and Shaolam likely thought Mahmood would be carrying a lot of cash at that time. We found 20 notes of MVR 500,' said Saeed.
The police said they are seeking six charges against Shaolam, and have enough incriminating evidence to put him away. The investigation has now been concluded and will be forwarded to the Prosecutor General's Office next week for charging.
