Malé, Maldives – Maldives Police Service has opened a case to investigate Defence Minister Mariya Didi and MP of Hulhudhoo Constituency Ilyas Labeeb for not revealing information that a terror attack was being planned against Former President of Maldives and Current Speaker of the Parliament Mohamed Nasheed beforehand.
According to the 241 Committee’s Inquiry Report on May 6, 2021 attack on Speaker Nasheed, MP Ilyas received intel from a friend and had informed Minister Mariya of a possible attack against Speaker Nasheed, however, neither Minister Mariya nor MP Ilyas had shared this information with the leadership of Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) or any other relevant parties.
A Police investigation has begun against these two members for not warning the authorities or taking proper actions against the matter beforehand. No official statement regarding the invetsigation has been made by the Police yet.
According to the Act against terrorism in Maldives, if any individuals receive any information that someone is attempting to carry out a terrorist act, they must inform Police of the matter immediately.
According to the law, if a terrorist attack takes place and a person dies due to it, because an individual did not warn the Police beforehand of an intel they had regarding the incident, then the individual who neglected the incident can be imprisoned for five to seven years. Considering the goods that are damaged due to the attack, the law states that the one who neglected can be fined from upto MVR 100,000 to MVR 500,000, and in some cases, jail for maximum six months as well.
Before the May 06 attack against Speaker Nasheed took place, MP Ilyas revealed that he informed of the intel to Minister Mariya as soon as he recieved it. However, Minister Mariya did not see it as relevant according to her answers during the parliament inquiry.
Defence Minister Mariya had told MP Ilyas 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.
It was also revealed in the 241 Committee’s Inquiry Report on May 6, 2021 attack that Defence Minister Mariya had not even attempted to get additional information related to the matter which was brought to her by MP Ilyas and that she had told that she does not categorize any information which is given over the phone without any names or leads which can be persuaded.
While Minister Mariya has been vigorously criticized for not sharing the critical information which she had received, she previously told that no “credible and actionable intelligence” was received about the actual attack.
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 May 13, 2021 and was airlifted to Germany yesterday for recovery and rehabilitation. Parliament had revealed that Speaker Nasheed’s medical expenses in Germany is being covered by Honorary Consul of Maldives in Germany, Christian Von Stetten.
Speaker Nasheed previously revealed that he has recovered from majority of his injuries except a few injuries to his leg and elbow. Speaker Nasheed remains currently in the United Kingdom after spending over a month in Germany following his release from the German medical hospital on May 21, to receive further treatment with the medical advice of his doctors in Germany.
