High Court Monday cited lack of jurisdiction to to overturn the house arrest order of the lower court for the local charged over the murder of notorious gangster Hussain Razeen in neighbouring Sri Lanka in 2015.
Razeen, 29 was found with multiple stab wounds, lying face down in an abandoned paddy field near the Tumbovila Bridge in Sri Lanka.
Maldives police had arrested Ibrahim Abdul Rahman in April last year after accusing him of funding the 'hit' on Razeen.
Rahman has been charged with two counts including accessory to murder.
Criminal Court in November last year had ordered 15 days house arrest for Rahman. However, the state had appealed the order before the trial had begun saying that Rahman posed a threat to prosecution witnesses.
The High Court annulled the pre-trial order but said it lacks jurisdiction to overturn the trial judge's order for house arrest.
The courts Act also dictates that only the judge presiding over the trial would take remand decisions.
The Sri Lankan police had arrested a Maldivian man now identified as Bilal Mohamed Ahmed and his Sri Lankan accomplice in Colombo at the time.
Sri Lankan police had said Razeen was killed for a contract of MVR15million (USD986,000).
Rahman had reportedly first tried to carry out the killing, but contracted the murder to the Maldivian man who was arrested by the Sri Lankan police.
The Sri Lankan police had found the van used in the murder, the murder weapon and Razeen’s his smart watch, which, had details of the messages received to his phone, and calls made to and from his phone. The two men arrested in Sri Lanka had reportedly confessed to the crime.
During the first hearing of the trial on Wednesday, state prosecutor said the defendant had traveled to Sri Lanka in October 2015, met with Bilal and paid him part of the money to kill Razeen.
The prosecutor said Bilal had sent pictures taken inside the van after the murder to the defendant as proof. Rahman had then sent the remainder of the money to his hit-man after he received the pictures, the prosecutor said.
The judge has given a 15 day period for the defendant to appoint an attorney before scheduling the the next hearing for January 23.
Police say Razeen's murder was a revenge killing, after he had reportedly been involved in the killing of one of Rahman's close relatives in Maldives.
Razeen was a prime suspect in the fatal stabbing of Ali Ishar in December 2007.
He had turned himself to police after an Interpol red notice was issued, but did not face trial due to lack of evidence.
