According to Maldives Police Service, they were informed the CCTV cameras at Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen’s residence were non-functional.
 
The authority had attempted to acquire footage from the cameras in connection to the recent case of a young woman discovered unconscious on the rooftop of a Henveiru district warehouse.
 
Hawwa Yumnu Rasheed, 21, was discovered by a neighbor on the morning of April 18. Before she was found lying on the rooftop, she had been hanging out with seven others on the evening before, according to police.
 
Yumnu along with the others linked in the case reportedly went to M. Maandhooge Dhekunuge, the family home of Minister Ameen, for a party. After the party, Yumnu along with three others visited H. Kashivelige and not long after Yumnu along with Raud Ahmed Zilal, of G. Eriyadhoo, went to H. Fentenoy from where Yumnu had reportedly fallen on top of the warehouse.
 
Police recently disclosed the identifies of everyone connected in the case.
 
Besides one of the houses in the case being connected to Ameen, two of the individuals involved in the case are his nephews, due to which the minister is alleged of colluding the investigation. Ameen however, denied these allegations.
 
Police said they could not acquire the CCTV footage from Maandhooge Dhekunuge since the cameras were not working, which the authority said had confirmed on Monday evening.
 
Previously Ameen said Maandhooge Dhekunuge was under the name of three of his siblings, and had come to know of an incident linked to the home only after it had happened, around the afternoon of April 18.
 
Ameen reiterated he did not attempt to use his influence to divert the investigation, and did not contact law enforcement regarding the case.
 
Meanwhile, local youths have been protesting every evening claiming they did not have confidence the law enforcement authority was conducting its investigation transparently.
 
Police had already sought travel bans on everyone suspected of involvement in the case while the mobile phones of nine suspects have been confiscated. The only arrest in the case so far was Raud, who was captured on CCTV footage with Yumnu moments before the incident.
 
The Criminal Court ordered a five-day remand on him last Thursday.
 
Police has maintained that Yumnu had fallen by herself and there was no foul play, but confirmed at the Criminal Court they had learned of a dispute between her and Raud on the evening of the incident.