Six suspects charged over Anas murder

The Prosecutor General’s office has charged five men and a minor in connection with the murder of 25-year-old Mohamed Anas in late July.

Charges were raised Thursday against Usman Shareef, Ahmed Zayan, Junaih Abdulla, Hassan Mahfooz, and Simah Moosa. Earlier in the week, the PG office also filed charges against a 17-year-old at the juvenile court.

According to local media, Usman and Zayan were charged with murder under the 2010 ‘dangerous weapons’ law whilst the rest were charged with aiding and abetting.

The police also launched a manhunt for two other suspects in August. Mohamed Shaz was arrested in late September and Afrah Abdul Razzaq was arrested while hiding out in a house in Malé on October 8.

The authorities have yet to decide on pressing charges against the pair.

Anas, a speedboat captain from the northern island of Meedhoo in Raa atoll, was stabbed 37 times by a group of masked men inside the Litus Service Centre in the Galolhu ward of the capital.

He died while undergoing treatment at the nearby ADK hospital. He was the fourth murder victim of the year.

Disturbing security camera footage showing Anas being repeated stabbed inside the motorcycle shop was later leaked online.

The fatal stabbing came amid a spike in violent crimes in Malé and prompted an outpouring of grief on Meedhoo. In early August, hundreds of people clad in black and carrying banners and placards joined family and friends for a protest march demanding justice for the killing.