Life sentence issued in drug case after handwriting match

In a drug trafficking case, the court has sentenced a man to life in prison after a handwriting match was confirmed. 

In an operation conducted in HDh. Kulhudhuffushi, a packet of drugs were found inside an exercise book in a room in the accused's residence. Twelve rubber packets of drugs were also found in a can in the residence's yard. 

The accused admitted that the drugs found in the room belonged to him. However, he claims that the twelve rubber packets of drugs did not belong to him, saying that access is open to anyone to the yard. 

Drug trafficking charges were pressed against him based on the discovery of the twelve packets. 

He would only be convicted if possession of the twelve packets could be proved. As evidence, the State submitted a handwriting document examination report. 

While the defendant has provided a handwriting sample, the twelve packets had numbers written on them. According to the report, both samples were written by the same individual, with matching lettering, size, shape, stroke angularity, writing skill, and speed.

The Police Officer who prepared the report testified in court that handwriting of two individuals would not be identical. They said that even if the letter formation matched, size, speed, letter combination, and such characters combined would not be identical in handwriting from two persons. 

They testified that the report concluded that the handwriting matched because they were certain of this beyond a doubt. 

HDh. Kulhudhuffushi Magistrate Court's Magistrate Mohamed Ismail ruled that it is proven under civil standards that the numbers on the 12 rubber packets were written by the accused. 

The Magistrate ruled that it is not a coincidence that the twelve packets with his handwriting were numbered from 14 to 25, and the corresponding packet number 26 was found in the room.

Hence, the court ruled that the accused's possession of the twelve packets found in the yard is proven. The court sentenced him to a life sentence (25 years) in prison, along with a fine of MVR 100,000.