Maldives home minister Ahmed Azleen Wednesday vowed to bring the mastermind behind the 1988 coup attempt back to the Maldives.
Abdulla Luthfee was sentenced to death for attempting to overthrow former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s government in the 1988 plot, assisted by armed mercenaries of a Tamil secessionist organisation from Sri Lanka, the People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE).
Luthfee had escaped from the authorities while on a medical trip abroad.
Former president Mohamed Nasheed’s government had authorised Luthfee to go to India in 2009 for medical treatment and he was supposed to return back by January 2010.
Authorities suspect that Luthfee is currently living in neighbouring Sri Lanka under a false identity.
The minister speaking during a ceremony held to mark the 28th anniversary of the attack noted that an Interpol red notice had been issued for Luthfee's arrest.
Azleen expressed confidence that the authorities would succeed in ensuring that Luthfee is brought back to face justice.
"In order to stop him from fleeing to another country from the one where he is currently hiding, we've even revoked his passport. Inshallah we will bring him back to the Maldives very soon. This shows that this government would do everything possible to protect the sovereignty and independence of this country," Azleen stressed.
Eighty Tamil mercenaries landed on Male’ on November 3, 1988, and quickly took over the airport. However they were caught in a shoot out with military forces in Male’ and were forced to retreat after India deployed paratroopers to the Maldives on Gayoom’s request. Nineteen Maldivians were killed in the gun fire.
