Police accused of seeking false testimony to arrest Gayoom
Zaidul Ameen, a Malé city councillor under arrest on a blackmailing charge, has accused a senior police officer of threatening to keep him in custody until he gives false testimony that could be used to arrest former President Gayoom.
25 Feb 2017, 9:00 AM
A Malé city councillor has accused the police of keeping him under custody to seek a pretext to arrest former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, alleging attempts by a senior police officer to coerce false testimony.
In a press statement released Wednesday before he was taken back into custody from house arrest, Zaidul Ameen said the warrant issued for his arrest on January 13 stated that he was suspected of conspiring with others to blackmail unnamed persons using a video, which he was also planning to share with the media “for financial and political gain”.
After raiding his apartment and confiscating his laptop and phone, Zaid said the only question the police asked was whether he secretly recorded a conversation with a senior state official, which they said could have been a minister, lawmaker or judge.
The police then began asking about a video that they are looking for as well as a hard disk alleged to have gone missing from the former headquarters of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives.
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