Kulhudhuffushi Man Jailed for Threatening to Kill Brother Over Money

A man from Kulhudhuffushi, Haa Dhaalu atoll, has been sentenced to three months and two days in prison for threatening to kill his own brother if he did not hand over money. The Kulhudhuffushi Magistrate Court handed down the sentence on 19 October 2026. The incident took place in July this year at the Dhiraagu Operations Centre in Kulhudhuffushi, where the victim was on duty. The accused went to his brother and demanded money. When the brother said he had none, the accused became angry, insisting that his brother did have money and was refusing to give it, and threatened to kill him if he did not pay up. Police were called to the scene. Even in the presence of officers, the accused continued to threaten his brother and moved aggressively toward the victim and another Dhiraagu employee. The accused was charged with the offence of threatening to cause harm, a first-degree misdemeanour. He pleaded guilty in the preliminary hearing and the fast-track trial, voluntarily confessing. His prior criminal record within the last six years led to an increase from the base sentence of four months and 24 days. However, his confession and the victim's wish to drop the case resulted in a reduction from the magistrate's discretionary powers. After deducting 16 days spent in pre-trial detention, the final sentence was set at three months and two days in prison. The request by the accused to have the sentence converted to a fine was denied because he provided no evidence of financial means to pay. The case was presided over by Chief Magistrate of the Haa Dhaalu Judicial District, Mohamed Ismail.