Fear and frothing in Faafu
In a first-hand account of his ordeal, Hassan Mohamed recounts how he was treated like a suspect at the Nilandhoo police station after he was threatened with violence by the brother-in-law of a ruling party lawmaker.
06 Mar 2017, 9:00 AM
The booming voice of the short man was starting to draw a crowd. Abdul Wahid was calling me an opposition “puppet” and belligerently threatening me after launching into an expletive-laden tirade. Standing beside him in the dark and narrow alley was a former policeman who was sacked over brutality in February 2012.
“Why the hell are you here? Why don’t you write about the other projects of the government? I’ll destroy your camera. I’ll throw kalhu theyo [used engine oil] at you,” he screamed at me.
To say that I was scared would be an understatement. I feared for my life. I expected blows to land on my face any second as Wahid literally blew smoke in my face.
My colleague Hassan Moosa and I were on the island of Nilandhoo in Faafu atoll to seek public opinion about a multi-billion investment deal with Saudi Arabia, which has sparked fears that the entire atoll or parts of it could be sold.
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