Nasheed confident that police probing assassination attempt, thoroughly

Former President and current Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed has expressed confidence that the Maldives Police Service (MPS) is conducting a thorough investigation into the attempt to assassinate him, during May.

During the fourth program of ‘Ask Speaker’ organized by the People’s Majlis, which was carried out on Tuesday, Nasheed revealed that the investigation is ongoing and that he had even given his statement to the police institution in regards to the matter.

Earlier, the police institution revealed that attempts were being made to assassinate the former president since 2019. Nasheed said that it was difficult for him to comment of the perpetrators behind this, right now.

Investigators claim that the attackers supported extremist ideologies and had considered Nasheed to be an "infidel" and had intended to kill him.

Nasheed was targeted in 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.

The shrapnel pieces from the bomb blast caused a substantial amount of damage to his internal organs, but had missed some vital arteries and organs. A shrapnel piece struck his rib, which otherwise would have struck his heart, leading to a fatality.  Speaker Nasheed underwent 16 hours of live-saving surgery at ADK hospital.

The parliament’s committee on national security services conducted an inquiry into the security breach that led to the assassination attempt on Nasheed, recommendations of which are to be implemented under the National Security Advisor’s Office's counsel.

The trial is ongoing for those charged in connection to the attack.

As of now, the individuals being charged in the May 6 assassination attempt targeting Nasheed, are Mujaz Ahmed, Thahmeen Ahmed, Ali Haisham Adhuham Ahmed Rasheed. Adhuham, who has signed a plea deal with the state for a reduced 23-year sentence, was identified as the man who detonated the IED on May 6.

While 12 charges have been raised against the four, PG Office decided against raising charges against a fifth suspect Ahmed Fathih. The trials for other suspects; Mohamed Nazim, Ali Fahmy and Is’haq continue as well.

Three attempts were made on the speaker’s life through the years, the first one near Yaagoothuge, the second near Marry Brown while Nasheed was out for his exercise runs and the third, on May 6 near his residence in the heart of the capital city.