“DhiTV’s leaked audio clip is a fake”: Office of former President Mohamed Nasheed

Former President Mohamed Nasheed’s office has today released a press statement dismissing a leaked audio clip attributed to him by private broadcaster DhiTV as a fabrication.

“The audio clip broadcasted by DhiTV on August 19, claiming to be President Nasheed is an edited audio clip,” the statement read.

In the recording, Nasheed is alleged to have said that three Commonwealth foreign ministers sent to investigate the controversial power transfer had determined that the events on February 7 did not amount to a “coup”, as alleged by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

“I asked them, if they decide that that’s what happened, what will I do next? The entire opposition of this country will go to prison,” Nasheed appears to claim in the clip, reported to be an excerpt from a thirty minute-long recording.

Speaking to Minivan News yesterday, MDP spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor had raised doubts on the authenticity of the audio clip claiming that it was “fabrication”.

“It’s difficult to believe that Nasheed would talk about it publicly. I feel it is a fabrication,” said Ghafoor.

Speaking to local TV Station Raajje TV, former President’s Office Undersecretary Ibrahim ‘Hoara’ Rasheed echoed similar remarks to those of Ghafoor concerning the audio clip.

“President Nasheed actually said that if CMAG [Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group] decides it is a coup that would mean the entire opposition would have to go to prison. Nasheed referred opposition to those who were in opposition during his time in government. They just made a simple edit of where he says ‘isn’t this a coup’ to sound like it ‘isn’t a coup’,” he said.

A photo of an audio analysis of the clip in Facebook by MDP-aligned group Kula-Yellow, suggested that it was edited on the 11th second of the 45 second long clip.

After sending its investigative team, CMAG announced in February that it had not been possible to determine the constitutionality of the transfer of power.

The group therefore recommended that an independent investigation, with international representation, be conducted.

The Maldives, which since 2009 had been a member of CMAG – the Commonwealth’s eight nation watchdog group – was subsequently suspended from the body after being placed on its formal agenda.

Continued pressure for inter-party dialogue and early elections from the Commonwealth led to strong criticism of the organisation from local politicians earlier this year, before resulting in the eventual reconstitution of the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI).

The CNI is scheduled to publicly publish its findings on August 30.

Nasheed’s formerly ruling MDP has suggested that he and his ministers be reinstated should the investigation find evidence that a “coup” had taken place.

The party also promised its acquiescence in the event that the CNI find no evidence of illegal activity whatsoever, a likelihood Nasheed does not anticipate.

Meanwhile, the government, which has steadfastly denied it came to power in a “coup d’etat”, has officially refused to speculate on the possible fallout from the CNI report.

Leaders from the minority leadership party in the Majlis, the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), have said that they would challenge at the Supreme Court any results which disputed the legitimacy of the President Waheed’s unity government.

Local newspaper Haveeru today publicly apologized for reporting the leaked audio, stating that the story was published without verifying its authenticity, while DhiTV claimed that it had not tampered with the audio clip’s content.

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