A man arrested over the possession of a marijuana plant claimed to suffer from a mental illness disability and sought a court-ordered evaluation on Monday.
Ahmed Yasih, 29, was arrested after the discovery of a cannabis plant in his home. The criminal court previously granted a 15-day remand on May 14 after the police accused him of selling drugs and sought to keep him in custody for the investigation.
According to an order issued by the criminal court yesterday to extend his detention after the 15-day period, Yasih pleaded disabilty as a defence and claimed incapacity due to a mental illness to answer to charges or accept a verdict. He asked for the opportunity to conduct an assessment.
The defence lawyer told the court that Yasih had attempted suicide at the custodial jail. Mental problems were noticed after meeting and talking with him, the lawyer said. The family has also noted the same but old documents have not been obtained yet, he added.
The police investigating officer said that although Yasih has been taken out of the cell because he could pose a danger to himself and others, a mental illness has not been noticed during interactions with him.
Criminal court judge Ibrahim Zihuny decided to allow Yasih to undergo an examination as he wished and ordered the police to provide cooperation.
In addition to pleading a disability, Yasih also accused the police of searching his home under duress. The police forced him to sign the document approving the search after entering the home, he said.
But according to the first remand order, the police found a suspected marijuana plant on the ground near the door of a house in Male', after which Yasih arrived and claimed the plant belonged to him and told the police that there were more marijuana plants on the balcony.
Yasih was arrested after he consented to a search of his residence and signed and fingerprinted the search form, according to the police statement.
But the previous remand order also noted Yasih's denial of consenting to the search. Yasih also alleged physical abuse and damage to property by police officers during the search.
Enough drugs to meet the standard for trafficking were found in his room, the police said. Material used to pack drugs were also said to have been found.
The possession of more than 14 grams of cannabis is considered cannabis trafficking. The penalty for the crime is imprisonment for 25 years and a fine between MVR 100,000 and MVR 10 million.
