Crime

Translation: Summary of report on Rilwan’s abduction

The journalist was killed by a local al-Qaeda affiliate, an inquiry commission concluded.

Published

5 years ago

September 8, 2019

The following is an unofficial translation of the summary conclusions of a draft report compiled by the presidential commission on unresolved murders and enforced disappearances into the abduction of Maldives Independent journalist Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla.

2010 and 2011 are noted as years during which an ideological dispute started between freethinkers and an organisation with jihadi extremist ideology operating in the Maldives.
Although the aforementioned ideological quarrel started on social media, blogs and other mediums of disseminating information, the dispute got heated and led to the killings of freethinkers.
According to the freethinkers, the thinking of the group’s members was to bring ideological changes to the nation. To mark the 2010 World Human Rights day, this group staged a silent protest called ‘Silent Solidarity’ on December 10, 2010 at the artificial beach. While this gathering was ongoing, a protest organised by an extremist religious organisation also took place in Malé.
In the following year, the group of freethinkers held a gathering at the artificial beach on December 10, 2011. The purpose of this silent protest was to call for religious freedom and space for freethinkers in the Maldives. This is was the beginning of physical confrontations between the religious extremist group and individuals belonging to the group of freethinkers. Aside from the disturbance that took place during the confrontation, the two groups further exchanged a war of words on social media, wrote on blogs, and the religious extremist jihadi organisation made a list of people who “insult Islam,” warned that they will be “erased” and kept issuing death threats to them.
Ismail Hillath Rasheed (G. Parkerge, Malé) and Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla (M. Shining Star, Malé) took part in the protest held on December 10, 2011. Yameen Rasheed (Chanbeyleege, S. Feydhoo) wrote on his blog that Hillath Rasheed had called him asking to attend the protest but that he could not go as he was busy at work. The protest held at the artificial beach by the group of youth advocating for freethinkers on December 10, 2011 was disrupted by the religious extremist organisation, who threw stones and bashed Hilath Rasheed’s head. Aminath Sulthana, who took part in the December 10, 2011 protest, left the Maldives and migrated to a foreign country in order to save her life due to death threats. Aminath Sulthona lodged the case of her death threats with the Maldives Police Service. However, the Maldives Police Service never investigated this case (Maldives Police Service case no: LC2011/16822).
In connection with the disruption of the December 10, 2011 protest and the assault committed by the religious extremist organisation, the Maldives Police Service’s counter-terrorism unit identified those who were involved and compiled intelligence reports. Copies of these reports were attached to the file of case number LC2011/16829 which was investigated by the Maldives Police Service. The reports are dated December 10, 2011 and December 13, 2011. According to these reports, the individuals who attacked the silent protest of about 30 people calling for freedom of religion at 4:50 pm on December 10, 2011, were recruited and trained by a religious extremist organisation active around the Noor and Furqan mosques.
According to Hillath Rasheed his head wound was caused by a rock thrown by Ismail Abdul Raheem Adam (M. Lagoonview, Malé) that hit him on the head. In the complaint filed with the police by Aminath Sulthana, who also took part in the protest, Hillath Rasheed’s head was injured when a rock thrown at Hillath Rasheed by Ismail Abdulraheem hit him on the head.
From the members of the religious extremist organisation which is active in the Furqan Mosque, the following are seen taking part in the violence on December 10, 2011. They are: 1. Ismail Abdul Raheem (Isoo), M. Lagoonview, Malé – Arrested and deported while trying to enter Syria through the Syria-Turkey border 2. Jaadhulla Ibrahim (BG Jaallho), Javaahiruge, GDh. Vaadhoo – Left for Syria a few hours after the murder of MP Dr. Afraasheem Ali 3. Mohamed Nishan, M. Haadhoo, Malé – Left for Syria a few hours after the murder of MP Dr. Afraasheem Ali 3. Ali Shiyam (VB Ayya) H. Vaaleevilla, Malé – Financially assists fighters leaving for Syria
The people mentioned above were recruited and trained for jihad by the jihadi organisation active in Malé’s Furqan Mosque. From these people, Jaadhulla Ibrahim, (Javaahiruge, GDh. Vaadhoo) and Mohamed Nishan, (M. Haadhoo, Malé), left the country for Syria with two other people just a few hours after the murder of MP Dr Afraasheem Ali. Ismail Abdul Raheem, (M. Lagoonview, Malé), was arrested at the Turkish border area and deported in January 2015 while attempting to get in to Syria. He was arrested upon return to the country and his case was sent to court for prosecution. The charges of trying to join a foreign war did not proceed because a document needed from the Turkish government was not received by the Maldivian government.
On May 10, 2012 Ismail Hillath Rasheed lodged a complaint (case no: LC2012/07513) with the Maldives Police Service that he was assaulted and beaten up by Jaadhulla Ibrahim, (Javaahiruge, GDh. Vaadhoo). According to the statements given by Hillath Rasheed and Ibrahim Yasir (H. Zambassy, Malé), Hillath was assaulted by Jaadhulla Ibrahim and Ismail Abdul Raheem, (M. Lagoonview, Malé).
After repeatedly threatening to kill Hillath Rasheed of G. Parkaruge, a group of people and attacked and tried to kill him on the night of June 4, 2012. Hillath Rasheed’s throat was slashed in this attack.
According to the case diary of LC2012/08493, Mohamed Nishan, (M. Haadhoo, Malé) and Jaadhulla Ibrahim, (Javaahiruge, GDh. Vaadhoo) from the above mentioned list and Yoosuf Rilwan (G. Adimagu, Malé), Abdul Muhsin Mohamed (H. Goldenmeat, Malé) were suspects in the attempted murder of Hillath Rasheed.
In Maldives Police Service case no: LC2012/08493, the Maldives Police Service intel informed investigators that Jaadhulla Ibrahim, (Javaahiruge, GDh. Vaadhoo), who previously assaulted Hillath Rasheed, had filed a case regarding his stolen motorbike and that they had received information that Hillath Rasheed was attacked by religious extremists operating around the Furqan Mosque area and that before Hillath was attacked, members of the group had talked about killing him.
From the Islamic extremists who operate around Furqan Mosque, Ismail Abdul Raheem, (M. Lagoonview, Malé), had been following Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla a month before he was abducted, according to a tweet posted by Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla.
Aminath Sulthana, who had taken part in the December 10, 2011 protest, told the commission through a letter that she was threatened by Ismail Abdul Raheem, (M. Lagoonview, Malé) and others belonging to the religious extremist organisation and was assaulted by Ismail Abdul Raheem, (M. Lagoonview, Malé) in 2013, after which she left the country and sought asylum abroad.
In an email sent by Aminath Sulthana on March 25, 2017 to the Maldives Police Service, she said that she met Yameen Rasheed in London on March 4, 2017, and that Yameen told her that Ismail Abdul Raheem, who had attacked Hillath Rasheed during the December 10, 2011 protest, had been following him.
According to secret witness one, secret witness two, secret witness three and secret witness four, who have given statements to the commission and from intelligence reports compiled by the police on different matters, it is evident that the leaders of the jihadi extremist organisation operating from Furqan Mosque are Mohamed Mazeed (Mazeed), (Malé special registry 471) and Samith Mohamed (Somith) (Athireege, Th. Omadhoo) and that the group is the “Dot” group responsible for the Sultan Park bombing and that the group had expanded and become an Al-Qaeda affiliate and that the group was responsible for recruiting and training of Maldivians joining foreign wars.
According to the statements given to the commission by secret witness one and secret witness two, until the opportunity is available to go abroad for jihad, the leaders of the group try to find out what can be done as jihad in the Maldives and orders the recruits to carry out jihadi activities with the intention of attaining paradise through jihad.
The social media accounts and pages used to disseminate information by the Maldivian affiliate of Al-Qaeda headed by Mohamed Mazeed (Mazeed), (Malé special registry 471) and Samith Mohamed (Somith) uses the name “Shariah4Maldives”. From the posts made by the Twitter account and Facebook page of “Shariah4Maldives” and from the 2014 protest by this organisation which used the black flags of IS, banners and boards with “Shariah4Maldives” written on them, it is apparent that these social media accounts are their official information source.
A tweet posted on July 26, 2014, by @Shariah4Maldives said that the organization will continue the work it had started against people who mock Islam following the end of Ramadan.
After the December 10, 2011 protest, the jihadi extremist organisation was focused on Ahmed Rilwan.
Ismail Abdul Raheem, (M. Lagoonview, Malé), from the jihadi extremist organisation, had followed people who took part in the December 10, 2011 protest and that he had followed Ahmed Rilwan a few days before his abduction is evident from Ahmed Rilwan’s tweet from July 5, 2014 and the statement given to the commission by Leevan Shareef, (M. Boaga, Malé).
According to the statement given by secret witness one, there is a connection between Maldivians living in Syria and the leaders of the jihadi extremist organisation, Mazeed and Somith, with the two carrying out activities in the Maldives on behalf of the Maldivian fighters in Syria. Bilad al-Sham media claims to be the representatives for Maldivians fighting in Syria.
From a Facebook Messenger conversation between the admin of Bilad al-Sham media’s Facebook page (Abu Dujana) and Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla on May 27, 2014, it is evident that Abu Dujana accused Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla of sharing details of Maldivians leaving to fight in Syria and information about affiliated Maldivian domestic organizations with the Maldives police. Abu Dujana accused Ahmed Rilwan of mocking Islam and the prophet in his writings and that Bilad al-Sham media believed and accused Ahmed Rilwan of being an infidel. In addition, the admin of Bilad al-Sham media Facebook page made serious accusations against Ahmed Rilwan relating to his reporting for Minivan News. Ahmed Rilwan denied all the accusations made by Bilad al-Sham media.
Responding to the accusations made by Bilad al-Sham media, Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla wrote the following:“Don’t spread false information about me. Allah will curse you for your lies. I hope that you understand that Allah won’t forgive your violations of another person’s rights until that person has forgiven you. My brother that you’re talking about is a liar. And a hypocrite. He is lying about me due to problems within my family. Since it is a family problem, I am not going to share them with you. So, don’t spread every false story you hear. If you truly believe in the Quran, you have to confirm the veracity of the stories you hear. Find my house and go to my mother, sisters, my friends and my colleagues to find out whether I pray and fast. If you want to create strife and discord because I refuse Salafi ideology, then call me irreligious. However, don’t say that I am not a theist. I was once a jihadi. And once, I doubted my religion to an extent. However, this was five or six years ago. Even the, I did not mock the Quran or the prophet. If I have done such a thing, I challenge you to prove it. So, stop spreading lies. It has been years since I last commented on any topic on the Facebook page you mentioned. Even when there are several Maldivians who are openly non-believers, you can’t leave me alone. I cannot believe that the holy prophet (peace be upon him) will act ignorantly like you do. So, if you can’t live the way the prophet lived, stop calling yourselves followers of the traditions of the prophet (Ahlus-Sunnah). You can’t make me an infidel because our opinions differ. I am not afraid of any human. Thus, there is nothing that I have to prove to you or anyone. So, I will not tell you about the details of the relationship I have with Allah. Don’t say that I am not a theist. Going forward, if you have any problem with me, come to me first. I will do whatever I can do. I don’t want anyone to be hurt, whether by purpose or otherwise. Communicating in good faith can solve many problems.”
In response to this, the admin of Bilad al-Sham media facebook page who talked to Rilwan (Abu Dujana) said on May 27, 2014 that he will respond when he has time. On May 28, 2014, Abu Dujana responded to Rilwan and said: “There will be no cooperation between you and us. Know this very clearly. Your days are short.”
From the conversation between Abu Dujana and Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla on May 27, 2014, it is clear that the decision to kill Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla was made by the Maldivian organization in Syria and the jihadi extremist recruiters in Maldives.
On May 29, 2014 Bilad al-Sham media issued a warning statement due to the reporting done by Minivan News in May and the efforts by Maldives Police Service to investigate Maldivians leaving to fight in Syria and the recruitment of fighters.
According to Bilad al-Sham media, the founder and editor of the group is Abu Dujana al-Maldifi. The group did not reveal his real name. However, Maldivian media reports that they have confirmation that he is Yameen Naeem (M. Georgia, Malé). He was killed in Syria in September 2014.
Protected witness one, who gave information to the commission, stated that he was recruited by Al-Qaeda to go to Syria by Ahmed Hisham (Mintey), (Lainoofarumaage, S. Hulhudhoo) and Ismail Thaufeeq (Issey), (H. Dhemaagasdhoshuge, Malé) and that this organization abducted and killed Ahmed Rilwan. The protected witness also stated that Ahmed Hisham (Mintey), (Lainoofarumaage, S. Hulhudhoo) and Ismail Thaufeeq (Issey), (H. Dhemaagasdhoshuge, Malé) worked under the leadership of Mazeed and Somith who operated from the Furqan and Noor mosques. Protected witness two corroborated this statement.
Protected witness one stated that following the declaration of the Islamic State group by Abubakr al-Baghdadi in Ramadan 2014, the Maldivian group affiliated with Al-Qaeda was split into two groups and that the jihadi extremist organization in Maldives and part of the group of Maldivian fighters in Syria pledged their allegiance to Abubakr al-Baghdadi and that Mohamed Ameen became their Maldivian leader. The protected witness said that the other group pledged their allegiance to Al-Qaeda affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra and that Mohamed Mazeed (Mazeed), (Malé special registry 471) and Samith Mohamed (Somith), (Athireege, Th. Omadhoo) joined them.
[Missing or redacted]
Protected witness one stated that on the night of August 7, 2014, Mohamed Suaid and Mohamed Hamid followed Ahmed Rilwan according to plans made by Aalif Rauf, Azlif Rauf and Mohamed Munaz (Munaako), (Narugisvilla, Th. Omadhoo).
Protected witness one stated that Aalif Rauf, Azlif Rauf and Mohamed Munaz were recruited and trained to go to Syria for jihad by the Maldivian affiliate of Al-Qaeda run by Mohamed Mazeed (Mazeed), (Malé special registry 471) and Samith Mohamed (Somith), (Athireege, Th. Omadhoo). Azlif Rauf and Mohamed Munaaz had left the country to go to Syria together in December 2014. Mohamed Suaid and Mohamed Hamid, who followed Ahmed Rilwan on the night of August 7, 2014 from 10pm till midnight when Rilwan got on the Hulhumalé ferry, also left the country to fight in Syria with Azlif Rauf on December 30, 2014.
Rilwan was taken on to the boat by dinghy after he was abducted in the red car, which took him to the coast. Aalif Rauf, Mohamed Munaz and Shaffaf were in the red car when Rilwan was abducted. Mohamed Munaz was driving the car, Aalif Rauf was in the front and Shaffaf was in the back. Mohamed Suaid, (Athireega, S. Hulhudhoo), Solah (the Solah who left the country to go to Syria with Shabiniyo on December 30, 2014) and Shabyniyo (Ismail Sabih, Dhandimagu, Dhandofeyshi, Gn. Fuvahmulah) drove behind the car in motorbikes.Two months after Rilwan’s abduction Azlif Rauf, Aalif Rauf and Mohamed Munaz went in to Lucas Jaleel’s house. They took part in the protest held in September 2014 called “Shariah for Maldives” where protesters carried IS flags. This protest was organized by Mazeed. When this protest took place, the Maldivian group affiliated with Al-Qaeda/Islamic State/Jabhat al-Nusra had not split altogether.
Protected witness one said in the statement given to the commission that Rilwan was abducted and taken to a boat from Ukulhas. The owner of the boat is Mohamed Rashid, (Maavadiaage, AA. Ukulhas). Along with Algis from the same house, they had two boats. These two boats are used by the jihadi extremist organization to get revenue. These two boats are used to harvest sea cucumbers in Ukulhas. The boats were arranged by a leader of operations for the organization Agleel (Kidoo), (Gurahaage, S. Hithadhoo). After being taken to the boat, they beheaded Rilwan and dumped his body in the ocean.
From the statement given by protected witness two, it is evident from conversations between the witness and Samith Mohamed, (Athireege, Th. Omadhoo) that he killed Rilwan.
Somith is the top sheikh under Mazeed in the Jabhat al-Nusra supporting side of the organization. The main sheikh who decides whether bloodshed is permitted is this Somith. The IS side of the organization has a decision not to carry out bloodshed in the Maldives. Their saying is that if the loss is bigger than the profit, bloodshed is not halal. However, the ideology of Jabhat al-Nusra side is different. Individual murders in Maldives are carried out by the Jabhat al-Nusra affiliated side. After the branches recruit and their training is complete, the recruits are taken to Somith. Recruits are taken to Somith when they have complete trust on the recruit. When they are taken to Somith, he starts preaching Tauheed from the book of salafi principles. From that point onwards, a mission is assigned to an individual after Somith has complete trust in the recruit. Not everyone is allowed to meet Somith. Protected witness two, in a statement to Maldives Police Service, corroborated this statement.
On CCTV footage shared with the commission by Maldives Police service, Mohamed Suaid and Mohamed Hamid are seen following Ahmed Rilwan from 10pm on August 7, 2014 till around 1am after midnight. This is corroborated by protected witness one in a statement to the commission.
In a statement given to Maldives Police Service on November 3, 2014, Mohamed Suaid, who followed Ahmed Rilwan from 10pm on August 7, 2014 till around 1am after midnight, said that he was a cashier at Aalif Rauf’s (H. Hilton, Malé) MMS Garage.
It is evident from CCTV footage that on the night of August 8, 2014 at around 00:55 Ahmed Rilwan bought ferry tickets to go to Hulhumalé from the Hulhumalé ferry terminal.
Witness number two, who knew Ahmed Rilwan from sight, testified at the Criminal Court on February 12, 2018 that Ahmed Rilwan got on the ferry that left Malé’s ferry terminal for Hulhumalé at 1am on August 8, 2014 and that Rilwan went to Hulhumalé. After the time the ferry is estimated to have arrived in Hulhumalé, Ahmed Rilwan’s mobile phone signal pinged in Hulhumalé cell towers, proving that Rilwan got to Hulhumalé that night.
Maldives Police Service’s intel intercepted and listened to Ahmed Rilwan’s phone calls from April 24, 2014. Maldives Police Service’s intel stopped surveilling Ahmed Rilwan on July 21, 2014.
In the evidence part of the court warrant application submitted to the Criminal Court by the Maldives Police Service seeking to intercept and listen to Ahmed Rilwan’s calls it is written that “police intelligence has received secret information that this person in association with others, are planning to carry out activities that threaten national security”. Rilwan’s phone was intercepted and spied on by Mohamed Jinah (SN: 4493) and Ibrahim Riffath (SN: 3246), who worked in police intel. There is no evidence that suggests that the information provided to the court to get a warrant to intercept Rilwan’s phone calls were true.
In a statement to the commission, Ahmed Hameed Abdul Raheem said that he has been working in the Maldives Police Service’s intel unit from 2006 and that from 2012, he was a supervisor at the covert policing unit of the intel support division. The unit was headed by Ibrahim Haleel. Ahmed Hameed Abdul Raheem said that he was the immediate supervisor for Mohamed Jinah (SN: 4493) and Ibrahim Riffath (SN: 3246). Ahmed Hameed Abdul Raheem said that around March/April 2014, Mohamed Jinah came to him and showed him Ahmed Rilwan’s Twitter “moyameehaa” and asked him who it was and that since he did not know who it was at the time, he said so. Later Mohamed Jinah came to him with Ahmed Rilwan’s identification details and told him that he has found out who it was, Ahmed Hameed Abdul Raheem said. When Ahmed Hameed Abdul Raheem asked who it was, Mohamed Jinah told him that he was checking up the details as asked by Mohamed Fayaz Ismail of police intel. Ahmed Hameed Abdul Raheem said that the interceptions were made and followed by Mohamed Jinah (SN: 4493) and Ibrahim Riffath (SN: 3246) and that Mohamed Jinah (SN: 4493) and Ibrahim Riffath (SN: 3246) did not give any information or report about Ahmed Rilwan to their immediate supervisor. Ahmed Hameed Abdul Raheem said that did not know that Ahmed Rilwan was being followed and intercepted.
Ahmed Hameed Abdul Raheem told the commission that before Ahmed Rilwan’s family reported that he was missing on August 11, 2014, Mohamed Jinah came to him and told him that a journalist was missing and there was concern because a secularist had disappeared. Ahmed Hameed Abdul Raheem said that he believed that Mohamed Jinah had the information as they find information from a lot of different sources and so knew it ahead of others. Ahmed Hameed Abdul Raheem said that he found out that Ahmed Rilwan’s calls were intercepted and followed from April 24, 2014 till July 6 or 7 that day. According to Ahmed Hameed Abdul Raheem, a few days later, but before the news that Ahmed Rilwan had gone to Jihad in Syria and died there was reported by the media, Mohamed Jinah and Ibrahim Riffath came to him and told him that Bilad al-Sham media was saying so.
The head of the Maldives Police Service intel’s covert policing Ibrahim Haleel said that Rilwan was a writer who believed in secularism and that the request to follow Rilwan was made by Mohamed Fayaz Ismail who worked on the technical side of the intel and that he did not know who Rilwan was before that.
Mohamed Fayaz Ismail who works at the Maldives Police Service’s intel said that he has been working in the Maldives Police Service intel’s technical side since 2004 and that as he had received information that the admin of a Facebook page named “colourless” was kidnapped and threatened, he had worked to monitor people who were active on social media and that as Ahmed Rilwan might have similar threats he asked Ibrahim Haleel to check it up and that the purpose was to monitor individuals who threatened people on social media and that Mohamed Jinah (SN: 4493) and Ibrahim Riffath (SN: 3246) were analysts who worked under Ibrahim Haleel and that it was Mohamed Fayaz Ismail who noticed Ahmed Rilwan’s social media activities and brought it to the attention of Ibrahim Haleel and that it was because Ahmed Rilwan was also receiving threats on social media and that some people had gone to meet the then home minister Umar Naseer and that everything related to it was being monitored by the unit and that that was the threat of attacks against people who were active on social media including Ahmed Rilwan and others and that before that neither Mohamed Jinah or Ibrahim Riffath had talked to him about Ahmed Rilwan.
On June 24, 2014, A few days before Ahmed Rilwan was abducted, an “A-grade” source informed Maldives police intel that: “Gut Mua and Ahandhu are planning to drown two people by using gangs and that a speedboat has been readied for this purpose.” The information was officially logged by the Maldives Police Service’s intel. Furthermore, it was logged that the two targets to be killed were admins of a Facebook page and that one of them was in Maldives and the other was abroad. It was also logged that the two targets are secularists. Maldives Police Service’s intel has shared the report that has this information with the commission.
As Ahmed Rilwan was being followed by police from April 24, 2014 due to threats to his life as mentioned above in statements by police officers, and, as Maldives Police Service’s intel had received information on June 24, 2014 that two targets were about to be drowned and that a speedboat has been arranged for this, and, as the police had taken no action, the commission believes that the senior officials of the Maldives Police Service’s intel should be held responsible.
In a statement given to the Maldives Police Service on January 24, 2016, Hassan Ali, who was the controller of the department of immigration and emigration from November 23, 2013 to January 20, 2015, said that, around the time that home minister Umar Naseer told media that he was hopeful that Ahmed Rilwan will be found, two staff (a police investigation found that it was police corporal Mohamed Jinah and police corporal Mohamed Riffath) who worked in the intelligence department of the Maldives Police Service met with him and discussed about making a copy of Rilwan’s passport.
Hassan Ali said that police corporal Mohamed Jinah and police corporal Mohamed Riffath told him on that day that the story about Rilwan needs to end that the point of making a passport was to show that Rilwan had left the country. Hassan Ali said that they can make a news channel like NDTV broadcast news about Rilwan’s death and that they can show that Rilwan died while travelling through India and that the two of them (police corporal Mohamed Jinah and police corporal Mohamed Riffath) were working under the instructions of the chief. However, they did not tell Hassan Ali who the chief is.
Hassan Ali said that, when they asked for a copy of Rilwan’s passport, he had said that he cannot do such a thing without being asked officially in writing but was told by the policemen that they could not get it in writing. Hassan Ali said that, he then suggested that an image can be made to look like Rilwan’s real passport, to which the policemen replied that it was a good idea and left. Hassan Ali said in his statement that about three days later the two men came back and showed him an image made to look like the information page of Rilwan’s passport on Jinah’s phone and that a few days later news spread on social media that Rilwan had been killed while on jihad.
It is evident from the phone records of Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor (H. Saamaraa, Malé) that he sent texts to MNDF’s Rauf (Mobile number: 9930399) on Spetember 29, 2014 and September 30, 2014 asking whether he could get a copy of Ahmed Rilwan’s passport.
In a statement given to the Maldives Police Service by police corporal Mohamed Jinah, he said that from November 2014 he met with Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor (H. Saamaraa, Malé) multiple times at his request and that Adeeb requested for information through police intel in these meetings. Mohamed Jinah said that he was joined by Ibrahim Riffath in these meetings and that he was given large sums of money by Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor on several occasions.
It is evident from the phone records of Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor, that Mohamed Munaz, who played a vital role in the abduction and murder of Ahmed Rilwan, called Ahmed Adeeb Abdull Gafoor several times and texted him the names of individuals who had taken part in the abduction and murder and were arrested by police, seeking to free them and that Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor sent those names to Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Didi. When they were freed, they left the country for Syria along with Mohamed Munaz.
When the individuals who assisted and carried out the abduction and murder of Ahmed Rilwan were arrested and Mohamed Munaz called Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor and asked for their release, Adeeb forwarded the names of the individuals to Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Didi. Copies of the court orders issued to free them show that they were consequently freed by Judge Abdulla Didi. When Judge Abdulla Didi refused to extend remand and ordered the release of Mohamed Suaid, who had followed Ahmed Rilwan and taken part in abducting him, there was enough evidence to prove without any doubt that Mohamed Suaid had taken part in the abduction. CCTV footage shows that Mohamed Suaid had followed Ahmed Rilwan for three hours on the night of August 7, 2014 and a forensic analysis of the CCTV footage proved that it was Mohamed Suaid who was following Ahmed Rilwan and while there was enough evidence that it was Mohamed Suaid who had been following Ahmed Rilwan, it is evident that the Criminal Court judge violated established laws and obstructed justice to release Mohamed Suaid.
When asked why the investigation team had not appealed the release of Mohamed Suaid or applied for a travel ban for Mohamed Suaid, while there was enough evidence from the CCTV footage and the forensic analysis of that footage that it was Mohamed Suaid who had followed Ahmed Rilwan, the team said that it was not standard procedure at the time to appeal the release of a suspect or to seek a travel ban. According to the team that investigated Ahmed Rilwan’s abduction, it is now done as standard procedure. This answer by the team that is investigating Ahmed Rilwan’s abduction does not make sense to the commission. The commission believes that the investigation team was negligent in the investigation.