DDCom presents report on journalist's murder case to President Solih
President Solih had, in his presidential address this year, announced that the report would be submitted in mid-2022
The report of the DDCOM findings, was submitted to the president on Thursday
The Presidential commission on disappearances and deaths (DDCom) has submitted the findings of their investigation into the murder of Minivan News Journalist Ahmed Rilwan to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
The report compiled by the commission on the journalist’s murder case, was submitted to President Solih during a meeting held at the President's Office on Thursday.
Speaking to the members of DDCom, President Solih shed light on their work and inquired them to share their findings with the relevant authorities and urged them to proceed with the case in accordance with the laws and regulations.
President Solih met with Rilwan’s family members, earlier this week.
Afterwards, DDCom members met with Rilwan’s family and briefed them about their inquiry and findings, in detail.
He had, in his presidential address this year, announced that the report would be submitted in mid-2022.
During his presidential address, President Solih stressed that justice for forced disappearances and deaths in unknown circumstances has been delayed for longer than he hoped and noted that a lot of work that needs to be done to solve the complications around these cases, remain.
He highlighted that the presidential inquiry commission has conducted the probe into the disappearance of the journalist with “utmost” priority.
The commission analyzed financial transactions with the assistance of a foreign financial expert.
The presidential commission back in December 2018 revealed that investigations showed links between Rilwan’s murder and two other high-profile murders; 2012 murder of lawmaker Dr. Afrasheem Ali and the murder of Yameen Rasheed.
Rilwan was last seen purchasing a ticket to the Hulhumalé ferry from capital city Malé, on 8 August 2014. Two years later in 2016, the police had confirmed that Rilwan was abducted and that one of the men caught trailing Rilwan on CCTV footage had been identified as Mohamed Suaid, who was arrested but released by the Criminal Court in November 2014. He has since been pronounced dead in battle after having left for Syria shortly being released from remand.
Two men accused of abducting Rilwan were acquitted in 2018; one of these suspects is the owner of the red car believed to have been used to abduct the journalist, with investigators saying that DNA analysis of hairs lifted from the trunk of the car matched that of Rilwan’s mother.
DDCom confirmed that Rilwan was killed by an extremist group in 2019.
The commission has also linked Rilwan’s murder to two other high-profile murders in the Maldives; the 2012 murder of Ungoofaaru MP Dr. Afrasheem Ali and the 2017 murder of blogger and social media activist Yameen Rasheed.
Earlier, DDCom also sought assistance in information related to a knife they found outside of Rilwan’s apartment building in Hulhumalé. The knife is believed to have been dropped by his attackers during the abduction. Rilwan was forced inside a red car, outside of his house; back in July, DDCom released a reenactment video of the abduction.
