Additional reporting by Ahmed Naish
Police have arrested former head of police intelligence, Chief Superintendent Mohamed Hameed, following his contribution to the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s report (Dhivehi) into the controversial transfer of power on February 7.
Reports surfaced yesterday that police officers who had cooperated with the report were being rounded up and detained, and their houses searched. A group of protesters had gathered outside police headquarters this morning.
Police initially denied the allegations of a “witch hunt” and issued a statement accusing the media of “circulating baseless and false reports”. However court warrants for the arrest of Hameed and Staff Sergeant Ahmed Naseer were subsequently leaked.
Hameed was taken into custody this morning and transferred to the detention centre on Dhoonidhoo, ahead of a court hearing this afternoon. Naseer and a third, lower-ranking officer are also believed to be in Dhoonidhoo.
During the court hearing the Criminal Court extended Hameed’s detention to five days. The Chief Superintendent was led out the back door of the court away from the crowds of MDP protesters who had gathered outside. Riot police pushed the crowds back to the STO Trading centre.
The Criminal Court arrest warrant stated that Hameed is accused of “misusing” or leaking information acquired through his position for “the political gain of a particular group” and participating in the compilation of the “misleading” Ameen-Aslam report, which undermines “the public’s respect for the security services.”
It justified his detention on the grounds that Hameed might influence witnesses and attempt to get rid of evidence as “others are suspected of involvement in the case.”
The evidence submitted to obtain the court warrant stated that a draft of the report with recommended changes was found in Hameed’s gmail account, and messages were found that suggested Hameed was consulted prior to the release of the report.
The family of Chief Superintendent Hameed expressed concern over his detention and noted that he was widely respected in the force as “a man of principle”. He has been in the service for over 17 years and has a masters in policing, intelligence and counter-terrorism.
Following the raid and extrajudicial dismantling of the MDP’s protest site at Usfasgandu on May 29, Hameed tweeted: ” Called a ‘baaghee’ [traitor] on the road twice today. Rightly so when our own actions are unjustifiable and thuggery like!”
Police issued a statement this afternoon confirming that Hameed had been arrested on charges of leaking “important information collected by the Maldives Police Services intelligence related to national security” as well as providing “untrue and false information” intended to benefit a specific [political] party, which could pose a threat to national security and create “divisions between the police and the public.” Hameed’s actions were in violation of the Police Act, the statement insisted.
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This country can only have peace when the so called millionaires who are power hungry move away from politics.
The mixture of politics with business is quite clearly not working for the Maldives.
Quite sad really.
@Circus on Thu, 14th Jun 2012 3:07 PM
Wishful thinking, but it will never happen.
Sad, but the country is doomed.
the real thugs are, Fairoosh, riyaz, Nazim who brought down the democratically elected government.
police men and mndf beware, for telling the truth these guys are arrested. you could be the next arrested for telling the truth.
Police are shameless. Hameed you are a hero. Justice will be served one day soon and the true criminals in the Maldives will be the ones arrested.
in my country business and politics are handled seperately regarding our constitution. all this mess in the beautiful maldives must come to an end, its a waste of time discussing about who took advantage from whom or who had a sip of wine. i mean seriously, have u ever seen any leader of a any country being asked "oh wait sir, do u drink alcohol at times????" thts sick, leaders must have time and energy for problems which are actually their duty, like social diversity, poverty, education and so on.....
TO SERVE & PROTECT..... Whom?
We Police are the Law
We are above the law
So accept it... or else you may feel sorry later
What kind of Police and Military is this? Messing with politics , most probably for money and promotion.
Nasser just proves how dumb n uneducated the police in male is.
Intelligence leakage is a serious issue. Are there any laws on gathering intelligence, Privacy etc in the Maldives. Can minivan please write a well researched and balanced articles on this issue. Are all the phone tapping that's going on in this country by security forces legal? Hameed used to head the Intelligence Unit, how legal was there operations during his leadership. Instead of taking a partisan view on this, please write up on the issue from a civil rights perspective.
The old dictatorship is back. Election now to save the country.
This is the result of overly politicizing the police force.
As long as the Commissioner of Police and other high-ranking posts within the institution remain Presidential appointments, ambitious officers within the force will openly ally themselves with political parties and campaign for support.
Regrettable but the result of the lack of political will to take at least some measures to distance the MPS from the Presidency.
Where is the politicized HRCM now! they cried foul when a corrupted judge who released murderers on street was taken in to custody! What a double standard from you pathetic idiots hogging up our daily bread
@circus,
true, but not going to happen in any country. If there was no business there wont be politics. poilitics is the way ruling elites remain in power and the method to keep a countries wealth concentrated in handful all the while pretending to work for the welfare of the people. Politicians=Businessmens=Politicians=Businessmen=politician and it goes like that.
LEAK untrue information? How can you LEAK something that's false. LOL!
What more proof do you need of an illegal coup regime!!!
Haha why would anyone be arrested for giving out false information ? And why was the information called " to have bad sequences" if known to public . Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
What we need police and military mutiny against the current govt.
JJ the picture says you went late. lol
Masthah thilavanee dho. Hang in there, brave heroes of the MNDF and the Police Force for their jihaadh to restore integrity to our political system. You are my hero, Chief Superintendent Mohamed Hameed. Hang in there, we salute you.