"Litan killed by Nizam to obtain his money": PGO

Investigation has revealed that Mohamed Nazim, from GDh. Thinadhoo, killed his Bangladeshi crewmate, Mohamed Litan, while traveling aboard the oil boat "Heydhakuri", by pushing him into the sea.

On December 30 last year, Maldives Police Service announced that two people who departed on an oil boat on December 28 had been reported missing. The two people were Nizam and Litan. The boat the two were traveling in was found abandoned, drifting near Velana International Airport. The police searched within Male' City to locate the men, and Nizam was found on January 3, 2023, in a Male' guest house and subsequently arrested. Before the police located the missing man, a member of the public identified him on a Male' City street and posted a picture of the man on social media.

While the search for Litan was ongoing, a dead body was found on January 2 in V. Vemparu lagoon. However, DNA testing revealed the body was not Litan and was subsequently buried. Litan still remains missing.

The prosecution has raised three charges against Nizam: intentional homicide, robbery, and dealing in diamorphine. The basic punishment for murder is ten years in prison, blood money, or death penalty. The basic punishment for theft is one year, seven months, and six days in jail. The punishment for dealing in diamorphine is 15 years in prison and a fine of between MVR 25,000 and MVR 500,000.

The Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) Friday released information on the charges against Nizam and some details of how Litan was killed. The PGO said Nizam killed Litan by pushing him into the sea near L. Galufalhi area while he was unaware. Nizam killed Litan to obtain MVR 51,000 in Litan's possession, PGO said.

The incident occurred between 7:00 pm and 8:30 pm on December 28, 2022, the PGO said. The office said more than MVR 51,000 of Litan's money was stolen from the boat.

Nizam has been charged with drug dealing as 3.2656 grams of diamorphine were found in Nizam's residence at Ma. Shaadhee Villa North. The charges allege that Nizam bought the drugs with money stolen from the boat.