Majlis committee questions ex-mayor, housing minister in relation to security breach probe

Former Male' City Mayor Shifa Mohamed and the Minister of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure Mohamed Aslam were questioned by parliament's committee on national security services, or the 241 committee on Sunday, as it continues the investigation into the assassination attempt on former President Mohamed Nasheed.

The committee is working to determine the security breach of the former president and current parliament speaker.

Nasheed was the target of a remote controlled bomb in the country’s congested capital Male’ City on May 6. He had just left his house and was about to get into his car when a bomb attached to a motorbike exploded.

While it has since been revealed that there were concerns in providing security at Nasheed’s residence as well as that there had been a request to declare the road where it is located a no-parking zone due to safety issues, this had not been done at the time of the attack. It is likely that the committee will be questioning Shifa and Aslam regarding the matter.

The 241 committee intends to question individual police and Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) officers in its investigation. As such, Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed was questioned on Saturday. However, MNDF has said it will be responding to any questions as an institution, even if the committee requires information on the duties of an individual solider. MNDF claims that interviewing individual soldiers is against the practicing military hierarchy and against the established “Chain of Command” and the “Command and Control” of the organization. 

Other officials are to be questioned on Sunday as well, including Chief of Defence Force Major General Abdulla Shamaal and Vice Chief, Brigadier General Abdul Raheem Abdul Latheef.