Police have released a PowerPoint slideshow containing images of alleged black magic paraphernalia collected from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s protest camp at ‘Usfasgandu’, after they raided the area last Tuesday.
The evidence collected included pieces of paper with Arabic inscriptions, incense, a box of unused condoms, a discarded ‘Tiger’ beer can, and a laminated sheet containing photos of police officers marked with ‘ticks’ and ‘crosses’.
In a press conference on Saturday, Deputy Head of the Special Crime and Command Department, Superintendent Mohamed Riyaz, said that it was clearly mentioned in the Maldives Police Service Act that it was the duty of police to stop people committing unlawful acts in public.
Riyaz said police had sought a court warrant to search the premises for the sake of public opinion, although they had not needed one, and had found evidence suggesting that criminal activities were taking place.
However, he said that police delayed the process of dismantling the camp after the Civil Court ordered it halted.
He contended that Usfasgandu had become a “lawless” area, and said police had evidence it was being used for the practice of sorcery and black magic.
The evidence collected included pieces of paper with Arabic inscriptions, incense, a box of unused condoms, a discarded ‘Tiger’ beer can, and a laminated sheet containing photos of police officers marked with ‘ticks’ and ‘crosses’.
Speaking to Minivan News, MDP spokesperson MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor described the police statement as an act of repression to control the MDP protesters.
“This is just repression. They are trying their best to hide their impunity by blaming the protesters who have come out against the coup,” Ghafoor said.
Ghafoor alleged that police were inventing reasons to take over Usfasgandu and limit the right of freedom of assembly.
Ghafoor said he had heard similar “vague” language used by pro-government coalition partners during the the all party talks.
”I have come to understand this language the police and even the coup leaders are using during the all party talks. They are desperate. They are desperate to the extent that they feel that their impunity needs to be legitimised,” he said.
The use of “defiance, repression and threat” to control a population was not possible, Ghafoor said.
“The coup regime is desperate. Showing this evidence is just a tool of repression. They were desperate to such an extent that they sent an under cover police officer to Usfasgandu to throw a at a police van,” he alleged.
Police raided the protest camp at on Tuesday morning, after obtaining a search warrant from the Criminal Court and cordoning off the area from MDP demonstrators.
Reasons for the search as mentioned on the warrant issued by the criminal court included: “suspected criminal activity”, “damage to public property”, and “suspected black magic performed in the area”.
Under evidence, the warrant alleged that people in the ‘Usfasgandu’ area verbally abused police officers and damaged a police vehicle on April 20, obstructed a Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) exercise of May 9, and on May 25, “MDP protesters threw a cursed rooster at MNDF officers.”
Shortly after the raid, the Civil Court ordered a temporary court injunction after the MDP challenged the legality of the operation.
The government appealed the Civil Court decision in the High Court, which issued an injunction suspending the Civil Court’s injunction.
Police issued a statement right after the High Court injunction stating that there were no more legal obstructions to raiding the camp, but said the police were “thinking on the matter”.
Meanwhile, early on Sunday morning police arrested a MDP activist on charges of practicing black magic.
Activist Jennifer Aishath was arrested on Saturday midnight at around 1:45am near the ‘Aa Saharaa’ cemetery while she was attending a funeral. She was released at around 2:45am in the morning.
Police Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef confirmed that police had followed Aishath “because she was up to something”, but did not disclose what this was.
However following her release Aishath produced a police docket stating that the reason for her summoning was for questioning over allegations she was using “black magic and sorcery”.
Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) spokesperson MP Imthiyaz Fahmy alleged the government was now using charges of black magic and sorcery as an “excuse” to go on a “literal witch hunt” for MDP activists.
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Have you got any evidence for the brutal murder of the young boy ? Or kinda clueless about that ?
bhaaageee fools
Almost too pathetic for words!
What a bunch of idiots these guys are proving themselves to be. While two murders have taken place in quick succession, the police are more interested in superstition. Stop this nonsense.
The article reads as if black magic was a reality..It is the duty of anyone learned enough to tell others that this sort of thing was ridiculous..Not once did the article ridicule the assumption that black magic actually works..Well, here it is for the record: Black Magic doesn't work.//
The state authorities involved in arresting suspected witches?... Investigating witchcraft activities? Are we in the dark ages..?
@Idrees Zakariyya
It's unfortunate but a majority of Majority of Maldivians think black magic is real.
Don't you guys feel ashame of yourself, fools, this is not stone age. Is this what you guys have learned from the most prestigious police academies around the world. Get a life buggers.
hahahhahahhahahahahahhahaha
Police with MNDF are doing a great job in finding some proof to destroy MDP. They have threatened, beaten, arrested, detained and on the way for the kill.
They have planted undercover cops to do the dirty work ,so that they can get evidence.
The community is living in fear, day light robbery; attacks by thugs, stabbing and gang fights and murders are ignored. The strongest words and warning are at MDP not at the criminals.
Expatriate workers are harassed in broad daylight. Today foreign women cannot walk on our streets as they are considered as prostitutes. Our young men approached them to inquire how much they want for a "ride". Where are we heading?
The Tiger can used the condom.
We have to start a campaign for all peace loving Maldivians to learn Black Magic and practice it in order to oust the imposters and traitors from the seats of power. In fact, it would be the patriotic duty of all us. It doesn't matter whether Black Magic works or not; it will instill fear in these fools anyway.
I never heard of condoms being used in the practice of Black Magic, but maybe it's a more potent new form. Perhaps the condoms were used to cover oneself during intercourse with chicken/crow, strictly for the purpose of a highly potent form of Black Magic. Fear for your lives, traitors!
Oh my god....
This is a death warrant for someone. There p, in that paper, you can clearly read, kill someone... Kill someone...
It is there twice...
Smear campaigns must be stopped from both sides.
The police must stop emphasizing on the MDP's silly dalliances and rather underline their clear and blatant disregard for the law and any standards of decency practiced in any country.
The MDP camp at Usfasgandu is wrong because of:-
- Permanent constructs on public lands using brick and cement and also including jetty which was built without any permit or survey.
- Extended occupation of public lands for political uses outside any established norm anywhere. What takes place there is not an extended protest but the occupation of public lands which provided without a transparent process and in violation of the rights of the general public.
The police must stress on the right reasons and leave aside those which appear more sensational.
Meanwhile the MDP really must stop attacking infant institutions in the country. We do not have the human resource nor the funds to burn our institutions to the ground and build them up from ground zero. This is not a realistic dream people. Our institutions are precious and they must be supported and encouraged in the right direction. Not assaulted and derogated.
No country in this whole world has developed by throwing out the human beings in an existing system and replacing them with people we believe are saints. Look at what happened with Nasheed. Some of us thought merely replacing the ruling regime would change things around here. However he engaged in power politics at the expense of the people and also practiced nepotism, cronyism and corruption on a grand scale.
Our institutions and our knowledge of systems and processes is what is important. Not our idols and heroes.
Dont worry about the real crime, concentrate on this. Just remove the opposition by charges of black magic now.
WE JUST DESPAIR AT YOU DESPERATION.
yeah, that is evidence alright. evidence that can hold an entire army of people responsible for... some crime
Though we are in modern ere, the cult and his believers have gone back to stone age. The cult believes that he will be able to come back and then change our believes and start to rule the country as a king.
Now we are in 2012, communist principles and ideology will not be able to sell and the cult leader need to come up with a better ideas on concurring our nation.
what a joke? if there's a award for most stupidest police force, i am sure maldives police force will win.
I think this is very good stuff for the next installment of the Harry Potter Franchise. I ask J.K Rowling to give me royalty for this idea
condoms and beer used in the black magic...burn th witches!!
I hope the officers of the security services who are investigating black magic and sorcery passed with flying colours in their Studies of the Dark Arts, Witchcraft and Wizardry at the world renowned academies of the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst (UK) and the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY (USA).
We can now say that we have a Stanford educated man of questionable intelligence claiming to be the president of this country.
And we have a national security force with officers educated at Sandhurst and West Point investigating black magic, sorcery and witchcraft - literally chasing women on the streets suspected for being witches!
The sovereign state of Maldives has now confirmed to its citizens that we are indeed a unique nation, with uniquely stupid men.
what all things are in news in this crow s*&t like country
For all those who don't believe in black magic & sorcery, i believe its real. its stated in the Quran, so even though i question my faith from time to time i believe in Allah and Quran.so Maldives being a so called "100%" Muslim country.. their are lots of people who believe in this stuff.
as for the atheists in Maldives i have to say majority always rules.... so wait till u guys become the majority of the country,(it will be sooner than you think)
HERE'S A BOOGLE FOR YOU
BMW = BMW
BLACK MAGIC WOMAN = BAAGEE MOHAMED WAHEED
SET UP!
@Aobilz
Just because a majority believes something, that doesn't make it true. This is a logical fallacy and its called argumentum ad populum. And also, just because muslims are the majority, it doesn't give them the right to oppress the rest.
On the topic though, this is just plain dumb. I believe the police would have better things to do than going on witch hunts, which is just plain ridiculous!
@Wives and Concubines, im not telling/forcing others to believe it... im telling i believe and the majority of Maldivians should believe(if they are muslims). im neither forcing my beliefs on to others nor am i calling for the oppression of non believers. im saying as long as Maldivians calls them selves 100% Muslims black magic & sorcery will be considered real and punishable by law. that's why i said wait until Maldives becomes a secular state than neither Black magic or sorcery will be considered a crime or eve real.(note: im not against a secular state).
as for MDP practicing black magic... they are innocent until proven guilty..
May be this is what the baagee waheed and his terrorist army and police did. They want to curse Maldivians and MDP
Comon my 3 year old neice can even make same drawings as that so called evidance, BTW what the hell it says...?
Don't trust police,fabricated evidence!
Don't Trust MDP