Ex-Home Minister confirms Adeeb as ex-top government official mentioned by Pres.

Former Minister of Home Affair Umar Naseer has confirmed that there had been an investigation into an alleged meeting between a former senior government official and death row prisoner Hussain Humaam, convicted over the murder of late parliamentarian Dr. Afrasheem Ali.

Speaking to RaajjeMV on Monday, Naseer said that the Maldives Police Service (MPS) had launched an investigation into the alleged meeting which had supposedly taken place in a resort, but that they were unable to garner enough evidence to prove that the meeting had even taken place.

Noting that around 10 prison guards had been questioned in the investigation, Naseer said that an investigation was launched into the matter based on information received by President Abdulla Yameen.

Umar emphasized that while authorities had launched an investigation into the claims, there was no evidence to prove that the meeting had taken place.

"Not every accusation can be proven. There can be a number of accusations. But these are not things that are to be revealed during an investigation. But the President made the decision to disclose the information. There is no strength to the claims, the guard's statement also does not hold much merit either. The President will know how the case is being handled, I am talking about what was done when I was Home Minister," said Naseer.

He also added that President Yameen had shared the information and ordered the investigation into the said meeting after the explosion aboard the presidential speedboat in September 2015.

President Yameen had, during a Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) event on Sunday, revealed that new details had been uncovered in Dr. Afrasheem's murder, including that a former senior government official had met with his killer, after illegally taking him out of prison. Noting that two guards at Maafushi Prison had witnessed Humaam being escorted out of prison for the said meeting, the President said that one of the guards have already give their statement to police, and that they will be taking the testimony of the second guard as well.

The former Home Minister has confirmed that the former senior government official in question is former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, who is serving a 33-year jail sentence on multiple charges of corruption and terrorism.

Humaam's family, who denies that a meeting had taken place between him and Adeeb, has said that the President is working "to deflect blame and suppress the narrative" by linking the former VP to Dr. Afrasheem's murder.

Humaam had previously said that President Yameen and Adeeb would know the details regarding Dr.Afrasheem's murder better than him.