The Prosecutor General's Office has charged the husband of the Filipino nurse, who was found dead at her home last October, with first-degree murder and has also charged the husband's local lover with three criminal offenses.
The PG Office said today that it had forwarded charges to the criminal court in the premeditated murder of Filipino Nurse Mary Grace who was found hanging in her apartment in Male'.
The PG office accused Mary's husband, Marvin SY Vargas and his Maldivian lover 19-year-old Haleemath Lamha Abdulrahman of planning to kill Mary and carrying out the heinous act at the married couple's residence in Mahchangoalhi district of Male'.
While Mary's death was initially reported as a suicide, investigation into the case had revealed shocking information including the fact that both Marvin and Lamha who had been working as nurses at the ER of IGMH had been romantically involved. Marvin was arrested in October while Lamha was taken under police custody last month.
Murder Charge against Marvin
In its statement to the media, the PG office said that it had decided to pursue just one charge against the victim's husband and that is a first-degree murder charge under section 110 of the Penal Code.
The PG Office said that he was charged with murder after he had attacked his wife at their home on the afternoon of October 19, 2021, and inflicted injuries to her head and neck. The PG office said that he had killed his wife by suffocating the victim.
The PG Office added that the suspect can get a minimum of 10 years in jail if convicted of the crime.
Lamha charged with three criminal offenses
While Marvin had been charged with murder, the PG office had decided to pursue three charges against the 19-year-old Lamha.
This includes acting as an accomplice of the murder of nurse Mary Grace and the PG Office had said Lamha had aided in the planning and execution of the heinous act. It added that the suspect will be given a minimum jail sentence of 6 years if found guilty.
The local nurse had also been charged with theft by Taking or Disposition under sections 210 and 211 of the Penal Code. The PG office is pursuing this charge against Lamha after police found syringes that belonged to IGMH during the search of her room in her home.
While Police had also found pills issued solely to health facilities from her room and she had been charged for carrying out any activity that requires a license or permission without obtaining the said license and/or permission.
Both the charges carry a combined minimum sentence of 4 years and 24 days.
