Male’, Maldives – Maldives Democracy Network (MDN) has said that the current Prosecutor General of Maldives, Hussain Shameem was their chairperson from 2007 to 2009 and from 2013 till 2016.
MDN, which has been suspended by the Ministry of Youth for blasphemy after their 2015 report ‘Preliminary Assessment on Radicalization in the Maldives’ which included criticism towards Islam and made derogatory remarks regarding Prophet Mohamed (PBUH), claimed this in a tweet which they posted after PG Shameem claimed that he did not recall the report being published while he was the president of the organisation.
PG Shameem had denied any knowledge or involvement in the report and said that he did not recall the report had been published while he was the president and that if it was, he was out of the country. He also said that he was not involved in the reviewing, commenting or approving any reports which were published by the NGO.
While speaking on a radio programme by the national radio station ‘Dhivehi Raajjeyge Adu’ on November 7, PG Shameem said that he recalls being MDN’s president for a very brief period of time and that he doesn’t remember specific dates of his tenure. He added that he used to work with numerous NGOs and also added that he was not actively involved in any NGO since 2014.
“If I’m recalling correctly, I have not been actively involved in any NGO since 2014. I was never directly involved in running a NGO. Even if I was working in NGOs, I was never actively involved in an Executive position, in reviewing or decision-making,” he said.
When asked if Prosecutor General’s Office will take action against members of MDN, Shameem said that he will carry out all necessary proceedings once the authorities conclude their investigation and forward the case to his office.
The 2015 MDN report gained traction last year, after anti-Islamic remarks in the report sparked massive public outrage. In the aftermath, Shahinda Ismail fled the country amid ‘security concerns’ and has not responded to summons by the Maldives Police Service, and the MDN, was suspended by the Ministry of Youth for blasphemy.
PG Hussain Shameem was also a notable lawyer who handled famous cases before he was appointed as the Prosecutor General, which includes the Former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb’s case. PG Shameem was one of Former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb’s lawyers defending him on the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) scandal which cost the government more then MVR 4 Billion.
