Former President Mohamed Nasheed has expressed concern over the “intimidation and sacking of officers of senior rank” in the security forces ahead of the Commission of National Inquiry’s (CNI) report on the transfer of power expected on August 30.
In a statement yesterday, Nasheed referred to the dismissals last week of Chief Superintendent Mohamed ‘MC’ Hameed and Superintendent Adhnan Anees, the demotion of Superintendent ‘Lady’ Ibrahim Manik and removal of Captain Dr Fathmath Thahsyna Ibrahim from the post of Deputy Commander of Medical Services at the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).
The statement also noted the resignations of former Chief of Defence Forces Major General Moosa Ali Jaleel, Vice Chief of Defence Forces Farhath Shaheer and Brigadier General Ibrahim Mohamed Didi.
“A course of action following the transfer of power can only be determined based on the work of the Commission of National Inquiry,” Nasheed insisted, appealing to the security services against sacking, intimidating, demoting or promoting “any officer” before the commission completed its inquiry.
“I also urge those employed in the security forces to wait and not resign before the commission completes its task,” Nasheed said.
Senior officers assaulted
Superintendents Hameed and Anees were relieved of duty by the Police Disciplinary Board last week, reportedly after investigating allegations that the senior officers “worked for the political benefit of a certain party” in violation of police ethics, which prohibits engagement in partisan political activity.
Hameed, former head of police intelligence, was arrested on June 14 following his alleged contribution to the MDP’s report into the transfer of power on February 7.
Following reports that police who cooperated with the Ameen-Aslam report were being rounded up and detained, police initially denied allegations of a “witch hunt” and issued a statement accusing the media of “circulating baseless and false reports”. Court warrants for the arrest of Hameed and Staff Sergeant Ahmed Naseer were however subsequently leaked.
Meanwhile in June, Superintendent Adhnan 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.
Anees, Ibrahim Manik and Chief Superintendent Mohamed Jinah were among senior officers allegedly assaulted on February 7.
According to the political violence watch of local NGO Maldivian Democracy Network, ‘Lady’ Ibrahim Manik – who was demoted by the Disciplinary Board last week – was “captured and beaten” outside police headquarters.
Moreover, video footage emerged of Chief Superintendent Mohamed Jinah, head of the Drug Enforcement Department (DED), handcuffed and taken to detention island Dhoonidhoo on the morning of February 7.
According to the MDP’s report, the attacks were carried out by police officers outside police headquarters on the instructions of Police Superintendent Abdulla Nawaz and Sub-Inspector Azeem Waheed.
The report stated that Corporal Ahmed Vikram ‘Viki’ hit Superintendent Anees with a wooden chair in the back, and struck Anees in the genitals with his legs.
Anees was then taken upstairs to the third floor of police headquarters and locked inside the DED’s storage room, along with Deputy Commissioner Ismail Atheef and Superintendent Ibrahim Manik, the report claimed.
According to the report, mutinying police officers subsequently broke open the door of the storage room and again attacked the three senior officers, before taking them downstairs.
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