Tag: police commissioner

MPs and Police respond to intel chiefs’ Nasheed assassination attempt allegations

Former Head of Intelligence Chief Superintendent ‘MC’ Mohamed Hameed has stated in his January 9 testimony to the parliament’s Executive Oversight Committee that the police intelligence department received information about two separate assassination plans against former President Mohamed Nasheed.

Hameed further alleged that MP ‘RedWave’ Ahmed Saleem had stored a “poisonous chemical” in his company warehouse in 2011 and that the intelligence department learned of plans to use this deadly chemical to assassinate the then president.

Speaking in the same committee, former military intelligence head Brigadier General Ahmed Nilam also claimed to have received information about an assassination attempt planned to have been carried out during an MNDF live-fire event.

Former Minister of Human Rights of the current administration Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed has also spoken in December 2012 of assassination plans made against Nasheed by politicians she had then referred to as X and Y. She has since revealed X to be Deputy Speaker of Parliament People’s Alliance (PA) MP Ahmed Nazim and Y to be independent MP Mohamed Nasheed.

Following the public release of these allegations, MP Nasheed, MP Saleem and the police institution have responded denying the allegations.

Not involved in any assassination plans: MP Nasheed

Independent MP Nasheed has published an article on his personal blog denying involvement in any assassination plans.

Nasheed wrote that he had never spoken with former Gender Minister Dhiyana of any plans to assassinate Nasheed.

Questioning whether Dhiyana had indeed stated that MP Nasheed had spoken to her of involvement in orchestrating a coup d’etat to topple the former administration, he denied having ever brought up such a subject with her. He furthermore stated that he did not believe Dhiyana would have made such a statement.

Dhiyana’s account, released as a booklet titled “Silent Enquiry: A Personal Memoir on the issue of the Transfer of Powers on the 7th of February 2012” does not accuse person “Y”, later identified as MP Nasheed, of having partaken in assassination plans.

It however stated that through conversation with MP Nasheed she had learnt that he had pledged support to then Vice President, current President Mohamed Waheed Hassan, while he had refused the offer of the post of Vice President “should Waheed ascend to power in the coming week.”

“A week before the now disputed resignation of President Nasheed, his Vice President had invited ‘Y’ to his residence for dinner. After dinner, when he was about to leave, when he was bending over to put on his shoes, the Vice President had bent over and whispered into his ears that things would be difficult in the coming week and whether ‘Y’ would help him. ‘Y’, not suspecting that anything out of the ordinary would happen in the coming week had assured the Vice President that he would indeed help him,” Dhiyana wrote.

Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ahmed Nazim has so far not responded publicly to the allegations made against him.

Will take the matter to court: MP Saleem

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP ‘RedWave’ Ahmed Saleem released a statement on Monday claiming the public release of statements given by intelligence chiefs of police and the defence forces had caused losses worth millions to businesses in which he holds a stake.

In response to the allegations of his involvement in an assassination plan against Nasheed, Saleem stated that he intends to take legal action against a number of persons he perceives as being responsible for the loss caused to him.

Saleem stated that the parliament, MDP and individual persons were included in the entities against whom he would be filing cases in the Civil Court. He furthermore states his intention to lodge a complaint with police asking them to look into the “criminal activity of the committing of unlawful activities to destroy [his] business.”

Saleem denied ever having involvement in any plans to take the life of any person.

No records of assassination plans found: PC Riyaz

Commissioner of Police Abdulla Riyaz was reported in local media as saying that there were no records of investigations having been undertaken into any suspected assassination attempts against Nasheed.

Riyaz stated that police had looked into the matter after the former police intelligence head gave his testimony to the parliament.

“We found no records of such an assassination attempt, and no indication that any investigation had been carried out on the matter. As a norm, if such serious intelligence information had been received, an investigation would definitely be undertaken,” Riyaz is reported to have said.

Riyaz further stated that the police had now been instructed to look into the matter further and to determine why no official records had been lodged if such critical information had indeed been uncovered by the police.

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First hearing held in unlawful dismissal case of former head of marine police

The Civil Court has conducted the first hearing into former Police Superintendent Ibrahim Adnan Anees’s case of unfair dismissal.

Anees, the former head of marine police, was accused of assisting the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) by providing information to the party for its Ameen-Aslam report into February 7’s controversial transfer of power.

According to local media, Anees’s lawyer Ismail Visham told the court that his client was relived of police duty on criminal charges after police took statements from his client charging him with criminal offences.

Anees’s lawyer told the court that it was against the constitution to take action against a person charged with criminal offences without holding a fair trial.

He also told the judge it was questionable how Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz and Home Minister Mohamed Jameel had determined that the information Anees shared was confidential.

Moreover, he requested the judge determine if the dismissal was unlawful and to reinstate Anees’s job with police.

When the state was given the opportunity to respond the state attorney asked for more time. The Judge decided that the state’s response will be heard during the next hearing.

In August the  Police Disciplinary Board decided to relieve Chief Superintendent ‘MC’ Mohamed Hameed and Superintendent Ibrahim Adhnan Anees of duty.

The Disciplinary Board has also decided to demote Superintendent ‘Lady’ Ibrahim Manik to Chief Inspector of Police, and to remove the disciplinary badge on his uniform.

Hameed, Adhnan and ‘Lady’ Ibrahim Manik were among only a few police senior officers who did not join the events of February 7, which saw mutinying police hand out riot gear to opposition demonstrators and launch an all-out assault on the country’s main military headquarters.

In June, Anees sued the Maldives Police Service seeking compensation for medical treatment of injuries sustained after mutinying police officers allegedly attacked him in Republic Square and inside police headquarters on February 7.

Adhnan Anees, Ibrahim Manik and Chief Superintendent Mohamed Jinah were among senior officers allegedly assaulted on February 7.

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Defence Minister launches defamation case against Nasheed over “traitor” allegations

The first hearing of a defamation case filed by Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim against former President Mohamed Nasheed took place at the Civil Court today, with MVR 3.75 million (US$243,506) being sought in compensation.

The hearing was attended by legal representatives for both Mohamed Nazim and former President Nasheed, who was today detained by police for a separate criminal trial over the detention of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed.

Nazim’s lawyer told the court that the defence minister’s good name and reputation had been affected by claims made by Nasheed, who had called his client a traitor during a public address at a rally following February’s controversial transfer of power.

Newspaper ‘Haveeru’ reported at the time that following Nasheed’s speech, a group of protesters came outside Nazim’s house and that it had “left Nazim’s family in fear”.

Former Youth Minister Dr Hassan Latheef attended today’s hearing to represent Nasheed, telling the presiding judge that the former president denied the charges against him.

Latheef told the court that evidence would be provided to support Nasheed’s allegations, adding that the former president would want to produce such evidence to the court.

The next hearing for the case is now expected to take place will held a week on Thursday (October 18) . The presiding judge also said that during the next hearing Nasheed’s lawyer will get his chance to respond to the charges.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed was arrested this morning after Hulhumale’ Magistrate Court issued an arrest warrant. The warrant was issued after Nasheed ignored court summons to produce himself to the court for the hearing of a case filed against him for ‘’unlawful’’ arrest of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed.

Nasheed was at Fresmathoda Island in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll campaigning for the next presidential elections when he was arrested.

Another case of defamation has also been filed by Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz at the Civil Court against Nasheed. A hearing in to the case was recently scheduled but before the scheduled time it was cancelled.  Local media reports say that the hearing was postponed upon Riyaz’s request.

Back in April, the Maldives Police Service had forwarded a case concerning alcohol bottles allegedly confiscated from the home of Nasheed to the Prosecutor General’s (PG’s) Office.

A source with knowledge of the case has told Minivan News that the PG’s Office had decided that evidence provided by police at the time had not been obtained under the required procedures and regulations.

The source who wished to remain anonymous, said the PG had requested that police resubmit the case with evidence that was “legally obtained”, if the case was to proceed to a criminal hearing – a request that had not been forthcoming so far.

Prosecutor General Ahmed Muizz was not responding to calls from Minivan News at the time of press for an official response.

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Independent Commissions Committee decides against summoning police commissioner

Parliament’s Independent Commissions Committee has reportedly revoked an earlier decision to summon Police Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz for questioning over allegations of police brutality against anti-government protesters on February 8 this year.

Committee chair Mohamed Nasheed, an independent MP, today told local media that the decision to summon Commissioner Riyaz was deemed no longer necessary after the police chief said he had asked the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) to investigate reports of police violence.  MP Nasheed claimed that representatives of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) had requested the commissioner be summoned before Parliament for questioning over the reasons why  police were not investigating the allegations of violence.

“They [the MDP members] wanted to know why the Police decided against investigating the matter,” Nasheed told the Haveeru news agency. “But then the commissioner revealed that the Police had requested the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) to investigate the allegations so it was decided there was no need to summon the commissioner to clear out the reason behind the decision. So the committee did not summon him.”

Earlier this week, the Independent Commissions Committee announced it would be summoning Commissioner Riyaz for questioning over alleged police brutality.

The issue was submitted to the committee last Wednesday by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Ahmed Hamza.

Hamza told Minivan News on Monday that he had submitted the issue to the committee because the Police Commissioner had said the police would not investigate the alleged brutality committed by its officers against anti-government protesters on February 7 and 8.

Hamza said Riyaz had told him that he had requested the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) investigate the case.

I am interested to know why he has refused to investigate the case,’’ he said. ‘’HRCM and Police Integrity Commission (PIC) are also being summoned to ask about their investigations into police brutality that day.’’

Hamza said the committee furthermore decided to summon Prosecutor General Ahmed Muiz because some MPs were keen to ask him questions about the arrest of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed.

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Police refuse to comment on reports of deputy commissioner’s suspension

The Deputy Commissioner of police Mohamed Rishwan has been reportedly suspended for allegedly disobeying an order from Home Minister Hassan Afeef concerning the Thulusdhoo atoll office, reports SunFM.

SunFM reported that the Home Minister ordered police to take over the Atoll Office in Thulusdhoo and that the Deputy Commissioner had refused to do so without a court order.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said he did not want to comment on the issue, and could not confirm whether the report was true.

Afeef told Miniban News that the position of Deputy Commissioner “is not given by me and [the matter] is not related to me.”

Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair told Minivan News that he had not yet received the information.

”The police are an independent body,” Zuhair said. ”They work under the law.”

Zuhair recommended Minivan News contact Commissioner of Police for comment, however Ahmed Faseeh was not responding to calls at time of press.

He said that if something like this had occurred, the press office would be informed. “I have not received such information yet,” he said.

Zuhair said the government had decided to file a case in the court to solve the issue in Thulusdhoo, in which the local population have clashed with police over whether Kaafu councilors are permitted to relocate the atoll office to Thulusdhoo. The government has disputed that the councilors have the authority to do so.

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