Addu City, Maldives – Former MP of south Hithadhoo constituency, and local council candidate contesting as Mayor of Addu City, Ali Nizar has questioned the abilities of Minister of Home Affairs Imran Abdullah and Defense Mariya Ahmed Didi.
Nizar’s comments come following a fishing vessel used by a group of fishermen from Addu City, being hijacked during the early hours of Monday by a group of some 30 men armed with sharp weapons. While the issue has been described by police as a matter of ownership dispute and payment issues with regards to the vessel, between the original owner and the buyer, who local media has reported to be MP Jabir of Kaashidhoo constituency, Nizar has called the incident an act of piracy.
Mi dhoanyah hathiyaaraai eku arai, kandu feyri gengos dhoani athulai falhu verin vanee rashun baalaafa. @ShimranAb @MariyaDidi kandu feyrun raajeyga huhdha veetho? Noonee Qaanoonu nagahattan nukulhedhunee tho?. https://t.co/fiVNxaqfq9
— Ali Nizar (@DhekunuNizar) October 26, 2020
According Police, so far no arrests have been made with regards to the hijacking, despite Police having have attended the scene when the vessel came into the harbour of L. Gan, upon the order of the hijackers. Police stated that while the perpetrators were not arrested based on the information received by the Police at the time, the weapons were taken into Police custody from the scene itself.
With regards to this, Nizar questioned the Ministers whether piracy has become legal in the country or whether they have failed to enforce the law.
As the matter is still under investigation, further details with regards to the case have not yet been made available by authorities.
