3 Arrested Over Himandhoo Official’s Death

Police say they have arrested three men in connection with the death of Ibrahim Shaheem, 27, a Himnadhoo Island Office official found dead last Thursday.

His body was discovered by children on a beach in Himandhoo, North Ari Atoll. Shaheem is thought to have died between 3.15 and 3.45 pm. A police forensic team and the Special Investigations Unit have been carrying out investigations on the island.

Shaheem’s family says he had been out fishing on Thursday afternoon, and spoke to his wife on the phone at 3.15pm. He never replied to a text message she sent him soon after.

His body was taken to hospital in Mahibadhoo Island, South Ari Atoll, where he was pronounced dead. He has since been buried in Himandhoo.

Since his death, it has emerged that Shaheem’s younger brother was attacked last October, and slashed with a box cutter before being tied up and thrown onto a burning boat. Left for dead, he only just survived and was left with severe burns to 35% of his body.

Shaheem’s wife says her husband had received numerous death threats, after video he had taken was submitted by police as evidence in a controversial case over the use of mosques on the island.

The conflict began when most of the local population refused to pray in a government built mosque, saying it was erected upon a former cemetery, defying the preaching of the Prophet Mohamed.

As a result, the islanders constructed their own mosque, “Dhar-ul-Khair”, which was later closed by the government on October 7, who said it was against the Protection of Religious Unity Act. The mosque was then demolished by police.

Shaheem’s video showed locals praying in “Dhar-ul-Khair”, and was submitted as evidence by the police in a case which was later thrown out by the Attorney General.

A reliable source within the Attorney General’s office says the case was scrapped on the grounds that Shaheem’s entry into the premises had been unauthorised under Islamic law.

The government reshuffled its island staff as a result of the row, with Island Chief, Abdul Rahman, being moved to Rasdhoo. His successor, Adam Areef took over the jurisdiction of the island’s office the same day. Former Deputy Chief, Adam Mohamed was also relocated to Malhos.

State newspaper Haveeru reports that in a related case, another man from Himandhoo has been arrested on charges of ‘disrupting the religious unity and creating religious disharmony among the citizens’. Ahmed Shakeeb, 29, who is from Male, was arrested while in Himandhoo, the Maldives Police Service said.

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