Prosecutor general out of the country on unannounced trip

Prosecutor General (PG) Muhthaz Muhsin is out of the country on a personal trip, credible sources have told The Maldives Independent.

One PG office employee who wished to remain anonymous said the PG told colleagues at the office that he has taken ill with chicken pox. He has not been at work since Sunday.

The PG office media official told The Maldives Independent that he could not officially confirm Muhsin’s absence.

The media official had not seen the PG at the office this week, but Muhsin did call about office work, he said.

The PG’s absence comes amidst heightened tension in the wake of a blast on the president’s speedboat on September 28, which the government was an attempt to assassinate President Abdulla Yameen.

The PG is an independent official authorized to press criminal charges on behalf of the state.

Three soldiers were arrested in connection to the blast last week. The defence minister  was sacked last night while the head of the military unit of bodyguards and the police intelligence chief were replaced last week in what appears to be a shakeup of the security forces..

Two of Vice President Ahmed Adeeb’s bodyguards have also been suspended.

Adeeb, who departed for Beijing to attend a conference, has sought to address speculation of his involvement in the attack by declaring his unwavering loyalty to Yameen in two media appearances.

He departed for Beijing to attend a conference yesterday.

Correction: October 17, 2015: This article previously said two soldiers and an immigration official were arrested in connection to the boat blast. This is incorrect. All three arrested over the explosion are MNDF officers. An immigration official was never arrested in this case.