Reference No: 75/07/2012

3 July 2012

Vice-President of PPM warns Army and Police “Traitors” against testifying before the CoNI

Umar Naseer, the Vice-President of PPM, the party of the Maldives’ former autocratic leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, recently appeared on national television to issue a threat to members of the security forces who might be considering testifying before the Commission of National Inquiry (CoNI). Speaking on DhiTV, Naseer claimed that there are “traitors” within the security forces who “have been meeting in secret to plot ways to ensure that the report of the Commission is as [former President] Nasheed desires”.

The CoNI was established by the current administration, under pressure from the international community, to ascertain the exact sequence and nature of events which led to the overthrow of the Maldives’ first democratically elected government, headed by President Nasheed, on 7th February 2012.

In a clear effort by PPM, the leading party in the governing coalition, to intimidate potential witnesses before the CoNI, Naseer used his televised appearance to name these supposed “traitors” and to warn others from following them. The “traitors”, he said, include “MC Hameed, former head of the Police Intelligence Department, who was recently arrested for leaking sensitive information” as well as “Superintendent of Police, AdnaanSaami, and Chief Inspector, Mohamed Abdul Samad”.

“We know that these things are being done,” he warned. “We are very closely following the action of these people. All I have to say to these people is that the government has changed, within the boundaries of law. Hence, stay with this government. Otherwise, change your thinking, and leave your current posts. Don’t force us to take action in these matters”.

Naseer also issued thinly-veiled threats to anyone in the army who might be considering testifying before the CoNI. Again, he named three alleged “traitors” in the armed forces and claimed they were “taking other personal of the military to various places, to restaurants, and are trying to persuade the personal to state, at the National Commission of Inquiry, that this is a coup, that the military took part in a coup… that the military brought about a coup”.

“[Loyalist parts of] the police and military have been made well aware of these people, who are trying to ensure that the report of the Commission is in favour of Nasheed, by their own actions, during Nasheed’s regime”, he warned. “All I have to say to these people is that we have been very closely observing your actions.”

Naseer reminded viewers that the removal of President Nasheed had come about through “the foresight and wise actions of the Maldivian security forces”. He praised those who toppled Nasheed as “heroes”.

ENDS

Hamid Abdul Ghafoor
Spokesperson, International Affairs

Mobile: +9607778285
Tel: +9603340044