ALKHOBAR, 2 July — The Denver District Attorney’s Office has been notified by the Colorado Supreme Court that the statements Naif Al-Yousif gave to police when he was taken into custody and interviewed at the police station would be allowed as evidence in his trial. This is a serious setback for Al-Yousif’s defense team.
“The trial judge’s decision to suppress the statements was overturned,” said Lynn Kimbrough, communications director, Denver District Attorney’s Office. “This is good news for the prosecution.”
Al-Yousif is accused of kidnapping and murdering Saudi college student Abdulaziz Al-Koohaji in Denver, Colorado, in January 2001. In December 2001, a Denver judge ruled that statements made to police by Al-Yousif at the time of his arrest were not admissible in court. The judge believed that Al-Yousif did not understand English well enough to know that he had a right to remain silent.
The Denver District Attorney’s Office disagreed because Al-Yousif was a US college student at the time of the murder. In addition, witnesses testified to the high level of Al-Yousif’s English language ability. Based on the overwhelming facts in support of their argument, the Denver DA’s office immediately appealed the Denver judge’s ruling to the Colorado Supreme Court. Yesterday’s decision puts the prosecution firmly back in control.
The original statements made by Al-Yousif to the Denver County Police were extremely graphic. In those statements Al-Yousif tried to deflect blame from himself for the murder. However, he did admit to participating in kidnapping and brutalizing Al-Koohaji and being present during the murder. Al-Yousif’s case is now scheduled for review on Aug. 30.
