Police reveal identities of suspects arrested over attempt on ex-Pres. Nasheed's life
Former president Mohamed Nasheed was injured in an explosion outside his home on Thursday night
Maldives Police Service conduct an operation following an attempt on the life of Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed, the Maldives' first democratically elected president
The Maldives Police Service held a press conference on Saturday to detail progress of their investigation into Thursday night's explosion, a dangerous attempt on the life of Maldives' first democratically elected president and Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed.
The presser came at the heels of increased police and military presence across the Maldives' capital on Saturday, where a two arrests were made in operations conducted to find those responsible for detonating an IED in a central street of the populous city of Male'.
During the press conference, Police made public CCTV footage from Neeloafaaru street of Male' City, where ex-president Nasheed had been seen walking to his car with security, while on his way to attend an event in an island outside the capital.
Two male suspects had been arrested earlier on Saturday in an operation conducted by Police in the Greater Male' Area. Assistant Commissioner of Police Mohamed Riyaz confirmed the identity of the two suspects arrested over the explosion.
One of the suspects is 21-year-old Mujaz Ahmed (NID: A370231), from Machchangoalhi Feyruge in the Maldives' capital of Male' City.
The other man was identified as 32-year-old Thahumeen Ahmed (NID: A306408), hailing from the island of Gaafu Alifu Kondey, from Folheymaa house.
The two men were also revealed to have prior criminal records. They were arrested under court order by officers on Saturday, with their residences also having been searched to aid the investigation.
Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed also took part in the press conferences, and explicitly addressed the issue of violent extremism in the Maldives. CP Hameed stated that over the years, intelligence and investigation supported the argument that there were those within Maldivian communities who could be perceived as a threat to the public due to their support of extremism and violent ideologies.
CP Hameed said that the two men who had been arrested also fell into this category.
Speaking to the press, Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem described known links between violent, extremist ideologies and those arrested for attacking former president Mohamed Nasheed. PG Shameem and the Maldives Police Service maintained that that they could not reveal some of the information, including the identity of a fourth person if interest, publicly as the investigation was still ongoing in this case.
PG Shameem went on to add that he believed there had been enough evidence collected to prosecute and secure convictions in court against two suspects arrested in this case.
ACP Riyaz also revealed that they had been arrested under a court order, and that the residences of the two men had also been searched in order to collect evidence in an operation conducted by police officers on Saturday.
The Maldives Police Service have requested the support of the public in identifying and bringing to justice one other suspect in the attempt made on former president Nasheed's life, and have released his pictures to the media. Individuals with any information on the man have been requested to call the Police at their hotline 9704000, or submit the information to them via their online evidence collection portal.
