Malé, Maldives – Director General of the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC) Brigadier General Zakariyya Mansoor has been summoned to the Parliamentary Committee on National Security today, for questioning over the security breach of Former President and Current Speaker of the Parliament Mohamed Nasheed during May 6 terror attack.
In addition to Brigadier General Zakariyya, Chief of Defence Force Major General Abdullah Shamaal and Vice Chief of Defence Force Brigadier General Abdu-Raheem Abdu-Latheef has also been summoned to the 241 Committee in relation to the same inquiry.
Speaking at today’s press conference of 241 Committee, Chairperson of the Committee and MP of North Hithadhoo Constituency Mohamed Aslam stated that miscommunication previously occured regarding individual officers to the committee which has now been cleared. He stated that MNDF is fully complying with the inquiry.
While noting that no officer has denied attending the Committee inquiry till now, MP Aslam stated that a decision will be taken after discussions with the Committee if such and incident occurred.
In addition to this, MP Aslam stated replying to accusations that the government is intervening into the inquiry, that all the government authorities are fully complying with the inquiry and that no institution has tried to influence the investigation as of now.
Defence Minister Maria Didi said that MNDF objected against allowing individual officers to attend the inquiry as it conflicts with their law. She also stated that the Committee has not yet requested for her to attend an inquiry and that she will fully comply if asked to do so. MP Aslam said that he believes that Defence Minister Maria must be summoned at the earliest for questioning.
Following the terror attack against the Former President on May 6, criticism has been aimed mainly at MNDF with allegations that they have failed to provide necessary security for the Speaker. The Committee wanted to summon individual officers to clarify how things worked within the authority. However, MNDF released a statement deciding against allowing individual officers to attend the committee.
The statement from MNDF read that the authority will fully comply with the parliamentary inquiry however, will not allow for individual officers to attend the committee for questioning.In addition to MNDF officers, senior officers of Maldives Police Service has also attended the Committee inquiry. This includes Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed and Director of Counter Terrorism Superintendent of Police Fareedh Ismail. Personnel from other relevant authorities have also been summoned to the committee including Housin Minister Aslam who gave information at the Committee today.
The police is currently investigating the cause behind the attack on the Former President. 4 individuals have been arrested so far, all of them indicating radicalisation. The Parliamentary Committee is investigating into the security breach of the Speaker following the terror attack.
Speaker Nasheed still remains in Germany after he was released from the German medical hospital on May 21, where he went for recovery and rehabilitation for the injuries suffered in the May 6, 2021 assassination attempt on him. According to his family, he will remain in Germany for a month before returning back to Maldives.
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 taken to ADK 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 he was airlifted to Germany on May 13, 2021 for recovery and rehabilitation. Parliament had previously revealed that Speaker Nasheed’s medical expenses in Germany is being covered by Honorary Consul of Maldives in Germany, Christian Von Stetten.
