Committee to summon NIC officials, reg. Rilwan's case

Parliament’s committee on national security services has decided to summon officials from the National Integrity Commission (NIC), regarding journalist Ahmed Rilwan’s abduction case.

The decision was made at a committee meeting on Tuesday, where Hulhudhoo constituency MP Ilyas Labeeb proposed to summon officials from the integrity commission. North-Galolhu constituency MP Eva Abdulla endorsed the proposal.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, West-Henveiru constituency MP Hassan Latheef made a second proposal; while NIC had earlier this month ruled that there was no police negligence in the case, Latheef proposed to obtain its report on the matter.

He noted that the parliament is yet to be provided this report in an official capacity.

RaajjeMV understands that the officials from NIC will be summoned for questioning on October 3, following the commencement of the third session of the year.

While Rilwan was last seen in August 2014, police confirmed his abduction two years later in 2016. Incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih formed the Commission on Murders and Enforced Disappearances in November, to investigate such cases. This commission revealed that Rilwan was killed by an extremist group, earlier this month.

The commission’s draft report also notes that officers from the police’s intelligence unit had sought a copy of Rilwan’s passport at the immigration, after his abduction; then-Immigration Controller Hassan Ali is to have told the commission that their purpose was to “show that Rilwan had died after fleeing to Syria.”

The report also links former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb to the case, with the investigation showing that Adeeb had given the order to seek Rilwan’s passport copy.

In addition, the commission noted that the police had followed Rilwan prior to his abduction; they are to have said that this was after threats targeted at the journalist. However, the commission noted inconsistencies in the matter.

Most importantly, the Commission on Murders and Enforced Disappearances also revealed that the police had on 24th June 2014 received an intelligence report of a possible abduction from Hulhumalé and that a dinghy was set for this. The commission said that this case was later transferred to the police’s political section, and had acquired a court order to listen in on Rilwan’s phone calls claiming that he was planning to carry out “activities against the state.”