Malé, Maldives – Local media sources have reported that Defence Minister Mariya Didi was informed of a possible attack on Speaker of Parliament, Mohamed Nasheed.
According to local media “Raajje MV”, a parliamentarian who is also on the National Security Services committee (commonly known as 241 committee), had called Defence Minister Mariya and informed that he had received information from a citizen that there was a plot to carry out an attack on Speaker Nasheed for a price of USD 3 million.
To this, Defence Minister Mariya had told that Speaker Nasheed’s security was being followed up by Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF). Minister Mariya had told local media that Speaker Nasheed’s security was increased to the highest level two months ago even before the parliamentarian had given the information.
While Defence Minister denied that the call was in relation to the assassination attack on Speaker Nasheed on May 6, 2021, she told that no “credible and actionable intelligence” was received about the actual attack.
It was also revealed that Minister Mariya, Chief of Defence, Major General Shamal and head of intelligence had met with Speaker Mohamed Nasheed to brief him on previous threats and had given advisories over it.
While Minister Mariya had said that Speaker Nasheed’s security was at the highest, Major General Abdulla Shamaal had told earlier that MNDF had requested relevant authorities to remove the motorcycles being part at Neelofaru Road where Speaker Nasheed’s home is located amid security assessments done by MNDF.
The IED explosion went off around 20:20 on 6 May leaving Speaker of Parliament, Mohamed Nasheed critically injured while he was getting in to his car near his house, G. Kenereege, Malé City. In addition to him, 3 more people were also been reported to be injured from the explosion including the Speaker’s bodyguards and bystanders.
Nasheed was brought in with heavy bleeding, and both internal and external shrapnel injuries. Ball bearings were found in Nasheed’s chest, near the heart. Injuries caused by these projectiles caused life threatening damage to the chest area. Nasheed endured major injury to the fourth rib, with a blade going through a lung. A projectile also went through his intestine with another near his liver.
Speaker Nasheed was treated at the Critical Care Unit of ADK hospital in Malé until yesterday and was airlifted to Germany yesterday for recovery and rehabilitation. Parliament had revealed yesterday that Speaker Nasheed’s medical expenses in Germany is being covered by Honorary Consul of Maldives in Germany, Christian Von Stetten.
In the press conference held by Ministry of Defence and MNDF on May 7, 2021, Chief of Defence Force, Major General Abdulla Shamaal told that the IED was an improvised one which was controlled remotely and set off as Speaker Nasheed was about to get in to his car last night.
He also added that the IED was several times stronger than the one which was set off at Sultan Park in 2007 and also revealed that last nights one had ball bearings inside as shrapnel to increase the damage caused.
Chief Shamaal told that intelligence information is being received constantly and is dynamic and that they continuously act on intelligence inputs in making decisions. He further added that the procedures, training and education of the armed forces have been revised and capacity development has been increased drastically in order to accommodate such changing conditions in which they had to work.
He also told that MNDF leadership believed that there was a hand of any MNDF personnel involved in the attack and that no such information was received so far as well. Chief Shamaal also commended the response of the Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel who were giving protection to Speaker Nasheed following the blast.
