Additional reporting by Ahmed Nazeer
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has issued a statement condemning the arrest of police whistleblowers who cooperated with the production of its report into the controversial transfer of power of February 7.
Police head of intelligence, Chief Superintendent Mohamed Hameed, was arrested on Thursday and detained on Dhoonidhoo.
A police statement alleged that Chief Superintendent Hameed “distributed information obtained pertinent to his tenure as Head of the Intelligence Department, police matters and internal security, along with [providing] misleading information to certain individuals for reaping benefit out of it to drive rift within police officers and the community.”
He was presented to the Criminal Court that afternoon, which extended his detention period by five days. Hameed’s family have appealed the case in the High Court, arguing that his pretrial detention period was extended in violation of the law as Hameed was arrested over a disciplinary issue and not a criminal offence.
Hameed’s lawyer told the court that there were police officers accused of more serious crimes who had not been detained, alleging that in one instance a senior police officer stood accused of attempting to rape a woman and in another incident, influence a judge in a case involving the police officer’s interest.
His lawyer argued that the Criminal Court judge had extended Hameed’s detention period not based on what the police told the judge, but based on the judge’s own view, and that therefore Hameed had lost the right to respond to the accusations.
In response, the prosecution lawyer said that Hameed was accused not of a disciplinary issue but a criminal offence, and contended that the Criminal Court judge had declared Hameed a threat to society because police told the judge he might seek to influence evidence.
He also noted that the matter involving the police officer accused of rape had been sent to the Prosecutor General’s office.
Several other officers were also reported to have been detained last week, however Police Spokesperson Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef said Hameed was the only officer formally arrested.
The MDP held protests over the weekend calling for Hameed’s release, while a Hameed’s family have appealed the case in the High Court, and said the court was due to issue a verdict later on Sunday evening.
In a statement, MDP Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor said the arrest of the Chief Superintendent was “further evidence of the Maldives’ rapid descent into a police state.”
“Brave men and women who wish to stand up for the rule of law, for democracy and for human rights are today subjected to constant threats and intimidation. This purge of police officers who the Government considers possible opponents demonstrates President Waheed’s growing paranoia and the fact that his coalition Government are determined to rule by fear,” Ghafoor said.
“MDP calls on the EU, the US, the UN Human Rights Council and others to urgently enquire into the well-being of these police officers and to hold this illegal government accountable for their growing use of violence and intimidation for political means,” he added.
President’s Office Spokespersons Masood Imad and Abbas Adil Riza were not responding at time of press.
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In other democratic countries, people like Hameed would be considered as traitors and would be punished to the maximum. However in Maldives, traitors are considered as patriots and patriots are considered as traitors and that is the democracy of MDP. Its no wonder that those who had been dis-honorably discharged from the defence forces in 1988 leaking military secrets had been appointed the Defence Minister in MDP led government. So for MDP Hameed would be a hero. What a joke?
Thank you Maikaaloa (my night time friend). Please keep posting twisted facts and I will reward you and others like you who comment on damaging MDP's reputation. Well done my boy. Please come to my place for your reward. Also my bro SwordFighter Abdulla Hameed sends his regards to you and says he misses you very much.
Although I disagree the transfer of power to Waheed was legal, I was quietly hoping that might be better for Maldives as I was getting worried about how quickly and how vastly MDP leaders were getting rich. I was hoping Waheed might just be a bit more removed from the total corruption of Maldivian politics – because he mostly lives overseas.
Unfortunately, I am grossly disappointed by the actions of Waheed’s government – they seem to be equally corrupted – only they are more trigger-happy in using force and is widely seen as illegitimate.
@Maikaaloa on Sun, 17th Jun 2012 6:54 PM
"In other democratic countries, people like Hameed would be considered as traitors and would be punished to the maximum."
Upon careful examination, you'll find that in "other democratic countries", traitors who confiscate power illegally will be punished with the maximum force of the law.
If Hameed "leaked" anything, then Hameed did a great service to the public. Since the events of Feb 7th are in the public domain, any information pertaining to it is in the public interest and there should be in the public domain. There are no state secrets to withhold here. Who is the state? The state belongs to the people and the people are being robbed of the truth since Feb 7th!
Addu Bin Suvadheeb,
Even the most wretchedly liberal democracies recognize the folly of allowing the public unhindered access to the inner workings of the executive branch and that of law enforcement/policing institutions.
Even in the U.S there is such a thing as executive privilege.
Thus there do indeed exist such things as state secrets and for having compromised them Mohamed Hameed is indeed a traitor; and thoroughly unproffessional to boot as it is not the prerogative of the police to assist a particular political party. Let alone the MalDeviant Democratic Party.
O'Adduan. Your island is a den of Roman hedonism and harlotry. Discipline your women and do not speak of matters beyond your grasp and concern, lest I pray that God should strike you down.
Thid is not u.s.
This is nothing but a banana republic.