Hours after informing the recently resigned former President Nasheed that a statement from him was needed, the Maldives Police Service has announced that the said statement was being sought for the purposes of ongoing investigations on the arrest of Criminal Court Chief Judge during the presidency of Nasheed.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Ali Rasheed said today that Nasheed would be questioned about the issue of the unlawful and unconstitutional arrest of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdullah Muhammad on the 16th of January this year.
Arresting Chief Judge Abdullah proved to be a catalyst for the ultimate resignation of former President Nasheed from office. When Chief Judge Abdullah was arrested, opposition sides, joined by the Union of Civil NGOs, started a series of protests in Malé. The Supreme Court of the Maldives, the High Court of the Maldives, and the Prosecutor General ordered Nasheed’s Government to release Chief Judge Abdullah. However, Nasheed’s administration refused to do so, and issued illegal orders on the police and Maldives National Defence Force to break up opposition. Finally, the police, and later the Defence Force too, refused to carry out Nasheed’s illegal orders, and then, on the 7th of this month, Nasheed was forced to resign.
Assistant Commissioner Ali Rasheed said today that the Police wanted a statement of former President Nasheed on the arrest of Chief Judge Abdullah, and that they had told Nasheed that police investigation officers would attend any place that Nasheed wanted. “We told former President Nasheed that he would not have to come to the Police station, and that we would send investigation officers to a place that he names, and we have had no response from him until now”, said Ali Rasheed.
Meanwhile, Ibrahim Mohamed Saalih, Parliamentary Group Leader of Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party said that Nasheed was ready to go to the Police station. “The Police have told that they want a statement from President Nasheed. They said that they are ready to come to wherever he is, but he is willing to attend the police station”, said Saalih.
However, MDP leaders have earlier claimed that the police had ordered Nasheed to attend the police.