STC Presidium Stresses Prompt Completion of Legal Procedures in Abduction Case of Ashaal and Referral to Justice

SMA NEWS – ADEN THE CAPITAL
The Presidium of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) held its periodic meeting today, Thursday, chaired by Mr. Ali Abdullah Al-Kathiri, Acting President of the STC and Chairman of the National Assembly, in the presence of the STC’s ministers in the government and heads of the auxiliary bodies.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Presidium stood before the latest developments related to the abduction case of Lieutenant Colonel Ali Ashaal al-Jaadani, according to a briefing by the Minister of State, Governor of the capital, Aden, Head of the Security Committee, Mr. Ahmed Hamed Lamlas, and Director of the Capital’s Security, Major General Mutahar Ali Naji. The two officials presented the progress made by the Security Committee regarding the case, including the collection of evidence, investigations conducted with the accused who were apprehended in connection with the case, and the referral procedures to the Public Prosecutor’s Office to initiate its duties in accordance with the law and order.

In the same context, the Presidium listened, during its meeting, which was attended by the Secretary-General of the local authority in Abyan governorate, Mr. Mahdi Al-Hamed, to a briefing by a member of the STC’s Presidium, a member of the Follow-up Committee, Abdel Nasser Al-Ja’ri, on the results of the meetings held by the committee with the Governor of Abyan, the military and security commanders in the governorate, and representatives of the family of the abductee Ashaal, within the scope of the efforts made by the leadership of the STC to follow up on the progress of the case and ensure that it does not deviate from its legal course.

In this regard, the Presidium reiterated its praise for the unwavering commitment and national responsibility shown by the family of the abductee, by cutting off the way for those who tried to exploit the case to undermine the southern national fabric, sow discord, stir up chaos, and target the security system in the capital, Aden, stressing in the context the importance of completing the required legal procedures by the Public Prosecution, and referring the case file to the competent court for a speedy decision, as it is a public opinion issue that brooks no delay or postponement.

The Presidium commended the role of the security services in the capital, Aden, and Abyan governorate, their diligent efforts in collecting evidence and related information pertaining to the recent case, and the coordination and cooperation mechanisms between them, which led to the prompt referral of the case file to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Furthermore, the Presidium commended the measures taken by the Supreme Security Committee in the capital, Aden, to maintain security and stability, most notably the decision to ban the movement and roaming of unlicensed vehicles in the streets of the capital. In this context, the Presidium called on civil officials, military commanders, and security leaders to cooperate positively with these measures, which will strengthen security and stability and help the security services properly carry out their tasks.

The Presidium discussed a range of updates related to the economic and service conditions in the capital, Aden, and the South in general, foremost of which is the noticeable improvement in the electricity system in the capital, Aden, following the integration of the solar power plant into the grid at its full generation capacity of 120 megawatts, renewing deep gratitude and appreciation to the brothers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for their great humanitarian and fraternal support for our people in these difficult circumstances.

At the end of its meeting, the Presidium endorsed a set of recommendations to be submitted to President Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, President of the STC, and Supreme Commander of the Southern Armed Forces regarding the proposals and remarks submitted during the meeting and aimed at bolstering security and stability measures in the capital, Aden, to be reviewed and take the appropriate action in this regard.