Opposition Leader and former President of the Maldives Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has said that the government has agreed not to investigate the 'Finifenmaa' presidential launch blast at the request of former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb.
An attempt to assassinate President Yameen was carried out in 2015 when an explosive device was set off on the presidential speedboat as he returned to the city after his 2015 Hajj pilgrimage. President Yameen's wife, Fathimath Ibrahim, and bodyguards sustained various injuries in the explosion. Then VP, Adeeb was charged with terrorism and sentenced to 15 years in prison for the blast. However, the sentence has now been overturned.
Former Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz Ali, who recently signed up as a member of Adeeb's political party Maldives Thirdway Democratic (MTD), spoke regarding the explosion in recent days.
"I was scheduled to arrive [at the airport] with former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb that day, but Adeeb could not attend due to illness. After arriving in the Maldives, President Yameen went to the launch without even waiting at VIA's Lounge," Muaz said earlier. "Then I noticed that he was not sitting in his usual seat, the innermost seat on the right side of the launch. The First Lady, Madam Fathimath Ibrahim, was sitting on his usual seat, and the president was sitting next to her," Muaz said.
He said it was something President Yameen had never done before, and it was one of the most noticeable things on that day. These facts are information that should be shared with the people of Maldives, and the information is essential for the ongoing investigation and trial of the case, he said.
"The launch exploded while it was in Male' lagoon. The First Lady was thrown out of her seat with the force of the explosion and was lying at my feet. I did not see anybody else. I gave as much assistance as I could in that at that moment. President Yameen was seen emerging shortly afterward, dusting off his head. I did not see on his face the same panic that was etched on ours,' Muaz said.
Referring to Muaz's statement, Yameen on Saturday said the government intended to use Muaz as a 'weapon' on the instruction of Adeeb.
"Why did the state give such a huge concession to Ahmed Adeeb?" he asked at a rally held by PPM on Saturday.
The former president said Adeeb is the key witness in all affairs that the government wants to end in its favor. He said there must be a reason for this and alleged there was an agreement between the state and Adeeb. He went on to claim that Adeeb's biggest condition was not to investigate the Finifenmaa launch blast. The government has agreed to the condition, he said.
"There must be a reason why Ahmed Adeeb is used as a witness against me in all cases. The main condition in this agreement that the state signed with Ahmed Adeeb is that the Finifenma launch blast must not be investigated as long as this government remains [in power]", Yameen said.
President Yameen said the state had no right to keep the matter uninvestigated at Adeeb's request. The matter is not linked to the rights of the head of state but to the victims' rights, he added.
President Yameen reiterated that such an important matter should not go uninvestigated and that changes must be brought to the policies on deciding to investigate or not investigate a case, choosing to give concessions, and charging suspects.
Yameen's former Spokesperson Muaz recently questioned the Finifenmaa blast and heavily praised Adeeb. Speaking regarding his account of the blast, the former president said his former Spokesperson had changed his tune and that his version of the Finifenmaa blast did not make any sense.
"Muaz now claims he did not see a fire in the launch," he said.
