Police formally seek fall victim's statement as family denies obstruction

After accusing the family of refusing to cooperate with the investigation last week, police made a formal request to speak to Yumn on Tuesday morning, according to her brother-in-law, who strongly disputed the obstruction allegations. 

“We explained that the police had not made any formal request to take Yumn’s statement until today. Instead, a police officer based in Malaysia had repeatedly attempted to meet her informally and in private,” Mohamed Moomin told the Maldives Independent.

In a statement released last Thursday, police accused the family of blocking access to Yumn “despite several attempts” to take her statement.

The family has since responded with a letter addressed to the police commissioner, Moomin said. The official request to meet Yumn and take her statement came in the police's reply to the family’s letter. A written request was also made for copies of Yumn’s medical records, “which we will fully comply with,” Moomin said.

But Yumn remains medically unfit to speak with investigators, Moomin stressed. 

“She is not in a position to meet anyone. As soon as her condition improves to the point that she can give a statement, she will do so on live television, in front of everyone,” he said.

Yumn was found on a warehouse rooftop on the morning of April 18, more than two hours after the fall. Raudh Ahmed Zilal, the 21-year-old man who was with her in the staircase of the Henveiru Fentenoy house immediately before the fall, left her without reporting the incident. 

Raudh, the brother of a President’s Office undersecretary, was questioned on the following day. However, he was released despite a positive drug test. The police’s initial refusal to make any arrests or to acknowledge Raudh and Yumn’s attendance at a party hosted by the transport minister’s nephews sparked youth-led protests in Malé, alleging a coverup to shield individuals with ties to the president’s communications team.  

Police failed to disclose the identities of the group of eight young people at the party – including Izdhyan Mohamed Maumoon, who was sacked as President’s Office undersecretary for strategic communications – or to search the minister’s residence until public anger erupted with large demonstrations.

Raudh was arrested on April 24, a day after the first protest. Last Saturday, the police forwarded his case for prosecution, seeking charges of drug abuse – which would not entail jail time with a guilty plea at the drug court – and “failure to assist a person in need without reasonable cause,” a third-degree offence that carries a maximum sentence of three months in prison.  

After more than a month in custody, Raudh was released on Monday night (May 26). The Prosecutor General’s office advised police that his remand detention period could exceed the basic sentence of one month and six days. 

Raudh was arrested six days after Yumn's fall and the criminal court periodically extended his remand, most recently for 20 days. The latest detention order was due to expire on June 3.