A report compiled by the Presidential Commission (PC) following an inquiry into the controversial acquittal of alleged drug kingpin Adam Naseer in February 2010 has been leaked online, suggesting that shortcomings in the police investigation and weak evidence were responsible for failure to convict one of the “top six drug lords” identified by police.
According to the report, the inquiry into the police investigation and subsequent prosecution was requested by President Mohamed Nasheed in March 2010.
Police were unable to find “any evidence to prove at court that Adam Naseer bought and sold drugs,” the report concludes.
It further states that there was “reason to suspect negligence or a plan” behind the failure to gather strong evidence.
“Weak points”
The PC report identifies as “weak points” discrepancies in the statements provided by the police investigation team regarding the amount of drugs seized in the operation, revealing that police did not take the suspect’s fingerprint, dust the evidence for fingerprints or search Naseer for “any sign of drugs on him.”
“Apart from the statement of the police agent, Naseer’s friend [Ahmed] Ramzee, there was no other evidence to prove that the can [of narcotics] belonged to him,” reads ‘weak point’ number six. “And while police were certain for many hours that Naseer had the can, he was not caught red-handed.”
It adds that due to the hasty decision to arrest Naseer and search his residence before someone arrived to collect the can, police lost the opportunity to nab the suspect’s associates.
Among the other findings, the report notes that police trailed the suspect for six months prior to his arrest after intelligence sources learned that Naseer was going to recover drugs buried in an agriculture field he owned in Seenu Hithadhoo.
In addition to Rf5 million (US$389,100) in cash, police recovered eight empty rubber packets with trace amounts of narcotics and a plastic can with drugs from his residence.
However police were unable to uncover any details of Naseer’s dealings during the six-month investigation, such as his sources and customers.
The report notes that the inquiry was based on a summary report available from the Criminal Court website after the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) denied the commission’s request for the court report.
“The Prosecutor General’s Office informed the commission in writing that the [PG] office could provide any assistance saying that [investigating] such cases was against the commission’s mandate,” it reads.
Recommendations
The report recommends “strengthening investigative capability,” suggesting that police should not undertake such operations without “modern facilities” and officers with the skill and training to employ them.
Moreover, the report notes that all three investigative teams were led by Superintendent Mohamed Jinah, head of the Drug Enforcement Department (DED), recommending separating the teams to allow for monitoring of progress.
The report further advises instituting safeguards against potential corruption inside the DED and guarding against possible attempts to compromise high stakes investigations.
Among the irregularities noted in the report, the commission was told by the police agent that he was not remunerated while Superintendent Jinah insisted otherwise.
(0)Dislikes
(0)
jinah...
This is nothing new when faced by drug trafficking and consuming at this level, "in Mexico, Cancun's mayor was arrested on suspicion of protecting two violent drug gangs..this was a year after his police chief and other close collaborators were arrested for allegedly protecting cartels" .. our new government is busy playing politics they have forgot that head of Police anti drug unit is the same person who has been there for past 6 years .. even when dictator was ruling this country!! and also the new government forgot that in most countries top anti drug position is usually changed to keep the organization free from corruption .. thank you
This is just a confirmation of what everybody knew.
The Police are totally incompetent. The home ministry is so full of shit, they just dont care.
We know that. This is not worthy of a news item.
We are flyspeck in the ocean, so dont compare with the likes of America's countries.
The Police are not the incompetent party here but the Prosecutor General.
The Police are not lawyers and no where in the World does the Police lead these investigations. It is the job of the Prosecuting Attorney to lead these as they are supposed to be the people who know the laws and what is required to convict criminals.
If the prosecuting attorneys in the PG's Office gets involved from the onset, they would immediately understand how poor the work of the Police is and none of these cases would ever end up in court.
It is pointless arresting people if there is no chance of a conviction.
So the PG's office has to be involved in all of these cases if there is any chance of a conviction.
It is interesting, not many can waste their energy commenting on this. A few years ago, such an article would have fired the zeal of the ppl for justice and reform. It seems, that the fire is almost dead. The sense of despair, of shattered hope, is palpable. Resisting tyranny seems utterly futile, heartbreakingly dissapointing, best to NOT CARE! Best to be a hedonist. Best to be fatalistic.
The most evident tragedy of indestructible injustice is the creation of a selfish people. It really is unhealthy to give a rats.
Unless people believe that justice is only fully realized through some other dimension, people will not struggle for justice.
I would urge, please, feel the voice of reason within you telling you that it is impossible that the injustice of this world is the last word, rekindle your natural sense of resistance to the idea that the eventual fate of being is tragedy and injustice. It is telling you to FIGHT! Don't give up the battle, you WILL be rewarded for your efforts in some way.