The May 6 terror attack target, Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed, has raised questions regarding a suspect involved in the attack who was later released by the police.
Ahmed Fathih, 23, was arrested from B. Dharavandhoo a few days after the May 6 attack that critically injured Nasheed. He was seen transporting another suspect, Mujah Ahmed, from one point to another on the night of the attack.
Fathih used to work as a police officer before quitting the force on his own accord in 2020. He was the fourth suspect to be arrested following the attack. However, he was released on August 6, 2021, after the Prosecutor General deemed that there were no charges that could be raised against him at that time.
While one year has passed since the attack, Nasheed, and some of his close aides, have made new allegations regarding the attack.
Bilehdhoo MP Ahmed Haleem has questioned how one of the main suspects of the attack, Abdulla Ali Manik, was previously released early from jail while he had not finished serving his sentence. He said someone must be answerable regarding the matter.
Abdulla Ali Manik was serving a ten-year jail sentence when he was pardoned by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and released from jail. While serving his sentence, he had escaped from prison twice. Haleem's comments are believed to be regarding his pardon.
Following the May 6 attack, the State charged Ali Manik with supporting a terrorist organization under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Haleem's speculations were followed by Nasheed's own questions regarding Fathih's involvement in the attack, posted using his pseudo Twitter account. In the tweets, Nasheed said Fathih, against whom no charges were raised, transported a suspect who rendezvoused with the suspect who denoted the IED that injured Nasheed and brought him a change of clothes after the attack. Nasheed said Fathih used to be among police officers and that Maldives Police Service dismissed him after the attack.
The police issued a statement following Nasheed's comments, stating that the allegations that Fathih was on the police force at the time of the attack and when he was arrested are baseless and untrue. MPS said Fathih joined the police force on November 25, 2019, and quit the force on February 23, 2021.
