Sunday 15 Mar 2026
Passengers board a Vilimale' ferry. (File Photo/Sun/Mohamed Afrah)
Mohamed Shafeeq has been convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison following a violent machete attack at the Vilimale Ferry Terminal in Male, which occurred in February 2023. Although Shafeeq initially entered a plea of innocence and presented witnesses to substantiate an alibi, he abruptly altered his defense during the closing arguments of the trial. Presiding Judge Muzammil Nasir subsequently found the defendant guilty of assault with a dangerous weapon. Given that Shafeeq had already spent three years in pre-trial detention since his arrest in March 2023, the court credited this time served against his sentence, leaving four years of incarceration remaining.
The suspect in a 2023 machete attack at the Vilimale’ Ferry Terminal in Male’ that left a person injured has confessed to the crime, three years after his arrest in the case.
The incident in question took place at around 03:30 pm on February 14, 2023.
Mohamed Shafeeq, Janbureezgasdhoshuge, GDh. Gadhdhoo, was arrested in the case on March 10, 2023, and had reportedly been in custody ever since.
He was charged with assault using a sharp-edged or dangerous weapon.
Shafeeq had maintained his innocence throughout the trial. He claimed he had not even been present at the ferry terminal when the attack took place, and produced witnesses to support his claim.
But during closing arguments, Shafeeq dropped his earlier stance and confessed to the crime, and asked for leniency in sentencing.
On March 10, Criminal Court Judge Muzammil Nasir found Shafeeq guilty of the charge against him, and sentenced him to seven years in prison.
Having already spend three years in detention, he has four years left to serve.
