Motives behind murders known, cannot yet prosecute: Suood

While the motives behind a number of deaths they are investigating are now known, charges cannot yet be forwarded for prosecution, the presidential inquiry commission on ‘deaths and disappearances’ has said.

Husnu Suood, president of the ‘Commission on Investigation of Murder and Enforced Disappearances’, said in an interview with RaajjeTV on Sunday that while the motives behind the murders have been ascertained, the lack of statutory authority is an obstacle to prosecuting them.

The People’s Majlis has yet to vote on a bill seeking to grant statutory authority to the commission, and another investigating misappropriated state assets, which was submitted last year.

Suood said that the commission has also identified those responsible for some of the deaths they are investigating, although publicizing them could impede the investigation.

Further, he said that he does not believe investigative bodies have carried out an adequate investigation into the deaths, prior to the commission being tasked with it.

The commission will release a report on their findings, before the publicizing of which, those ‘responsible will face justice’.

The commission announced in December that they are investigating 25 cases, and said then that their investigations into most of the cases would be complete by April.