Rilwan’s abduction: Justice Didi released suspect after interaction with known criminal

Supreme Court Justice Abdulla Didi had released one of the suspects arrested in relation to the abduction of journalist Ahmed Rilwan.

This was revealed at the Judicial Service Commission (JSC)’s investigative meeting against the justice, on Thursday. The meeting is being held in public, and broadcasted live on TV.

At the meeting, JSC member Hisaan Hussain read a letter sent to the Commission by the police, detailing the misconduct allegations against him.

While the defence criticized that they were provided the letter after they arrived for Thursday’s meeting, Hisaan reiterated that the letter was sent to them around 10:40pm on Wednesday.

Police said that its investigation shows that Didi had interacted with a known criminal to facilitate the release of Mohamed Suaid and Abdulla Haisham, arrested over Rilwan’s disappearance.

The letter highlighted that Sauid was released by Didi, after the said exchange.

Rilwan was last seen purchasing a ticket to Hulhumalé at the ferry terminal in capital city Malé on August 8th, 2014.

Police confirmed Rilwan’s abduction two years later, in August 2016. It had revealed that one of the men caught trailing Rilwan on CCTV footage had been identified as Mohamed Suaid. He was arrested but released by the Criminal Court in November 2014.

Shortly after, he is to have left the Maldives for Syria with the brother of one of the suspects in the case, Aalif Rauf. Both are to have “died in battle.”

Aalif and Mohamed Nooradeen were charged in the case, but were acquitted last year citing “insufficient evidence.”