USD 3 million funded to kill Nasheed: MDP 'May 6 committee'
Case file to seek charges against four out of five suspects currently underway
The committee is to have received this information from an individual who noted that advance payment procedures were being carried out on May 3
The May 6 Committee received insider information that USD three million was funded to assassinate Parliament Speaker and Former President Mohamed Nasheed.
During its weekly meeting, the May 6 Committee of the main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s National Congress updated the public on their findings regarding the IED blast that targeted Nasheed’s life in early May.
Committee Chair and Vilufushi constituency MP Hassan Afeef revealed that he had met with MP Ilyas Labeeb regarding some information he had received in connection to the terrorist attack. It was previously revealed that Labeeb had alerted Nasheed and authorities about a credible threat on his life.
He is to have received a phone call by an unknown individual, who requested to meet him in person as he had “very important” information regarding an assassination attempt, on May 3.
During the meeting the person is to have told the parliamentarian that the culprits were promised USD three million under the contract killing and that the advance payment procedure was being carried out that night.
The same night the parliamentarian had met with the speaker, who requested to phone Minister of Defense and National Security, Mariya Didi, who did not answer the call that night. The MP tried contacting her the morning that followed, and shared the information received. After listening to him, Minister Mariya is to have assured him the Nasheed’s security level was at the highest, even then.
Chair Afeef went on to reveal that the May 6 Committee had met with officials from the Maldives Police Service, Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) and Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) during the past week.
The committee had met with the Defense Minister on June 27, who revealed that MNDF had been providing security and protection for the former president as stipulated in the law.
HRCM is to have revealed that the crime level of the terrorist attack was very high and that legal loop holes encourage these issues.
Further, the committee is to have been assured by the Commissioner of Police, Mohamed Hameed, that work is currently underway to analyze the forensic evidence collected, with the joint efforts from a team of experts from the United States of America and Australia.
While eight suspects were initially arrested in connection to the attack, only five are linked to the terror attack.
The police is to have reported that they had shared details of their findings with the People’s Majlis Committee on National Security or the 241 committee, and revealed that they are investigating whether any money was involved in the case. CP Hameed is to have revealed that the institution is currently working to complete the case file required to press charges against four of the five suspects.
Nasheed was targeted with an assassination attempt on May 6, as he was heading out to attend an event in an island. The attack, which saw a remote-controlled IED explode near his residence in the center of Malé City, caused serious injuries to the ex-president who was rushed to the hospital within seven minutes after being knocked to the ground by the blast, which was dubbed far more powerful than the explosion in Sultan Park, 2007.
In connection to the case, Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem revealed that the investigations will conclude within July.
