The Criminal Court has reversed its decision to release Haleemath Lamha Abdurrahman, who is charged in connection with the death of a nurse who worked at IGMH, and has ordered her return to custody. The Criminal Court made this decision after the High Court invalidated the previous release order and instructed the Criminal Court to reconsider the matter. The High Court issued this ruling on February 5 of this year.
The Criminal Court initially ordered Lamha to be held in custody until a verdict was reached or until the court determined otherwise in the case involving the death of Filipino nurse Mary Grace, who died in the Maldives in 2021. This first detention order was issued on February 21, 2022. At that time, the Criminal Court made this decision because there was sufficient evidence and indications to support the allegations against Lamha and because she was considered a potential danger to public safety. Later, on November 2, 2023, the Criminal Court reviewed Lamha’s detention, maintained the detention order for 3 months, and decided to temporarily release her. However, the High Court invalidated that decision and once again maintained Lamha’s detention.
On October 29, 2024, Lamha submitted a letter to the Criminal Court requesting her release and filed a form requesting a review of the court order. In response to this submission, the Criminal Court decided to release her on November 12, 2024. However, the Prosecutor General’s Office appealed this decision to the High Court. After reviewing the appeal, the three judges unanimously ruled to invalidate the decision to release Lamha. The ruling also stated that if the Prosecutor General’s Office submitted a request to the Criminal Court within 7 days to detain Lamha, the Criminal Court should make a determination on that submission in a reasonably expeditious manner.
During recent days, the state has repeatedly requested the Criminal Court to re-detain Lamha. However, Judge Hussain Faiz Rashad, who last heard the case, decided that an assessment should be conducted to evaluate the level of risk posed by Lamha. Judge Faiz, who made this decision, is currently suspended in connection with a case being investigated by the Judicial Service Commission. While Lamha has remained free until now, at a hearing held on the 4th of this month, Judge Ibrahim Zihunee determined that, considering the allegations and evidence against Lamha, the circumstances of her detention had not changed and that an assessment to evaluate the level of risk was not necessary. Therefore, the judge decided to detain Lamha in a remand jail until the completion of the trial. In addition to Lamha, Mary Grace’s husband, Marvin S.Y., has also been charged in connection with the death of the Filipino nurse who died in the Maldives in 2021.
