"A criminal investigation must be launched into members of DDcom": Former Islamic Minister

Former Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dr Mohamed Shaheem, has stated that a criminal investigation must be launched into the members of the Presidential Commission on Deaths and Disappearances (DDCom).

Dr Shaheem made the statement in response to the commission seeking to press charges against him over the 2012 murder of Dr Afrasheem Ali.

On December 4th, the commission announced that the case against Shaheem has been forwarded to the Prosecutor General's Office for prosecution. Charges are to be pressed against the former minister for providing false information in the investigation into the lawmaker's murder in addition to obstruction of justice.

Shaheem took to twitter on early Friday morning, predicting that the parliament's decision to take action against him based on the commission's report will be voided, as the commission's report has no value.

Shaheem further stated that the commission is attempting to protect the real murderer by abusing their authority and placing the blame on extremists. Hence, Shaheem declared that a criminal investigation must be launched into the members of the commission.

Highlighting that the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) has returned the charges against two suspects sought by the commission, Shaheem suggested that these are all political ploys by Husnu Suood, the former president of the commission and current Supreme Court judge. Further, Shaheem stated that Suood must be dismissed from the Supreme Court bench accusing him of lacking integrity.

Shaheem also stated that legal action must be taken against members of the commission for publishing the report without fully completing the investigation.

As such, the summarized report on Dr Afrasheem's murder presented to the parliament on November 17th last year, states that Shaheem had provided false information to the commission regarding his meeting with the lawmaker on the day of his murder. While he told the inquiry commission that the MP had shown up at his office unexpectedly to meet him without prior notice, a thread of text messages between the two politicians proved his statement was false.

The report quotes Dr. Shaheem stating "we held a meeting as per his request, not mine".

Dr.Mohamed Shaheem was the Minister of Islamic Affairs when the Ungoofaaru constituency MP was stabbed to death in the stairwell of his house near STELCO in October 2012. Two were charged over Dr Afrasheem's murder, but only Hussain Humaam of Henveiru ward, Lobby of Male' City, was convicted and sentenced to death after a dubious trial.

Other than Humam, all the suspects arrested in connection to the murder were set free. The inquiry commission is also seeking charges against two other suspects, Mohamed Mazeed and Saamith Mohamed, suspected of being the masterminds behind the murders of lawmaker Dr. Afrasheem, journalist Ahmed Rilwan and pro-democracy activist Yameen Rasheed.

Though the commission forwarded their case for prosecution, the PGO returned the charges against the two on December 31st to complete some parts of the investigation stage that were overlooked.