The family of former Ungoofaru MP and religious scholar Dr Afrasheem Ali has rejected the investigative report prepared by the Presidential Commission on Murders and Enforced Disappearances.
The religious scholar was found brutally murdered in the stairwell of his residence on October 2, 2012.
The commission investigated the murder and prepared a report on their findings which was forwarded to the President's Office. On Thursday, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih forwarded the report to relevant authorities, and announced that important details of the report would be publicized by the end of the week. However, the findings of the report have already become public.
Local medias report that the commission's report reveals that there is no evidence that murder of the MP was politically motivated. According to the report, religious extremists who strongly disagreed with the scholar's ideologies were behind the murder.
Dr Afrasheem's brother, Abdul Naseer Ali has stated that he does not accept the Presidential Commission's investigative report as the information conveyed in the report contradicted information previously relayed by Police.
Naseer said the murder was politically motivated and that police had earlier presented detailed evidence of financial transactions relevant to the case that supported the claim. He further said no one in their right mind would believe it when it is declared five years later that there was no level of political influence involved.
"How would it bother Humam [the alleged murderer] if my brother [Dr Afrasheem Ali] were alive? It wouldn't. They had no issues with each other. Whoever did this was put up to it by someone. That [the people who orchestrated this] is what we don't know." Naseer said.
