Police officer charged with assaulting Hussain Solah acquitted

(16-11-2009)

The Police officer charged with assaulting Hussain Solah, whose dead body was later found floating in the harbor, has been acquitted of the charges by the Criminal Court on Sunday.

Corporal Ahmed Shah, of Primrose / Haa Dhaalu atoll Vaikaraidhoo, was charged with assaulting Solah while he was incarcerated at the Atholhuvehi Detention Centre on 12 April, 2007.

Judge Ali Rasheed said that two detainees in the Detention Centre had testified that they had seen Shah attack Solah but that the third witness had said that they had given the testimony because they had grievances against the Police.

“Since the three witnesses were detainees and because Ahmed Shah was the senior officer at the Centre at the time, it is possible that those in custody there would have some animosity towards the officer,” Judge Ali said.

The Judge ruled that since there was no other evidence, except the eyewitness accounts from the three detainees, the charges against Shah could not be proved beyond doubt.

The case against Shah had been filed by the Human Rights Commission, based on the testimonies of the three detainees.28-year-old Hussain Solah had been found dead in the Southwestern harbor of Malé not even 24 hours after he was released from Police custody. The report published by the Human Rights Commission on his death in 2007 stated that there was no evidence that Hussain Solah had been tortured and that it wasn’t confirmed whether he had been released from Police custody at the time that the Police had stated he had been released. The report further stated that although Police had denied any wrongdoing in the incident and issued a statement that Solah had died after being released from Police custody, there was no evidence to support the claim.