May 6 inquiry report highlights MNDF’s failure to share intelligence

The parliamentary committee on national security, or the 241 committee's inquiry report sheds light on several issues regarding the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF)'s failure to share intelligence in connection to the May 6 terrorist attack the targeted the life of Speaker and former President Mohamed Nasheed.

It is highlighted on the report that Nasheed’s Close Protection Team were not receiving intelligence information and that MNDF’s Daily Intelligence Summary (DIS) report prepared in regards to the former president is the first thing that should be handed over to his security team.

While giving information to the inquiry, Nasheed’s Threat Analyst stated that the reason information is not being shared with the SPG is in order to not take any risks.

The report also highlights the fact that the SPG is not notified on the necessary measures to be taken for the protection of President Nasheed from day to day, considering that most information of threats are still unknown.

From the way the team spoke, it is clear that they had been notified constantly by the commander of the SPG that there still is a target on President Nasheed’s back and that there remains a threat from extremists as well. However, in the report it is stated that only some and not all members of the team were informed about how “critical” the threat to President Mohamed Nasheed is. It was also acknowledged that some members of the Close Protection Team had no clue as to how closely the threats are posed at President Mohamed Nasheed.

The report further states that MNDF has identified three ways a person can be in danger of assassination. Namely; blowing something up, attacking a person with a sharp object such as a knife and setting a place or person on fire.

It was underlined in the report during the inquiry that the need for vehicles to be removed from near the former president’s residence, Neeloafaru Hingun, is because of the high risk that they could be wired with bombs.

Moreover, the report expresses that during the inquiry it was brought to attention that Nasheed’s security team believed that it is best that the vehicles on Neeloafaru Hingun be removed, due to the fact that it’s difficult to walk around on that road, it’s almost impossible to create appropriate formations for Nasheed’s escort and because his car is unable to fit through the road.

The report states that if the Close Protection Team had known that it was possible that a bomb could be wired to a cycle, 24 hours prior to the attack on May 6, they would have been more attentive as to where President Nasheed got into his car and where the cycle was parked.

In addition, according to the most recent threat assessment report made by the DIS for Nasheed, besides following Nasheed, the fact that extremists were also keeping a watch on how his security team worked was not informed to his security team and that the security team believed that they should have been informed was reported in the inquiry.

On March 12, a member of the SPG had noticed that an extremist had closely stalked the parliament speaker and had reported it to higher authorities along with pictures according to the report. Moreover, it was stated in the report that no action was taken on the proof that was provided.

The report lastly stated that there had been a lot of compromises in the security of the former president and that there was failure in sharing information.