A case involving former Islamic Minister Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed has been forwarded to the police on the accusation of providing false information to the presidential commission investigating murders and enforced disappearances regarding the murder of former MP Dr. Afrasheem Ali.
Member of the presidential commission, Fareesha Abdulla told AVAS that the case was sent to the police as per the counsel of the Prosecutor General's Office. She did not disclose the date on which the case was filed at the police.
The commission earlier on 4th December 2019 sent Dr. Shaheem's name to the Prosecutor General's Office to raise charges for giving false information to the commission regarding the murder of former MP Dr. Afrasheem Ali, which obstructed the investigation. However, the Prosecutor General's Office sent back the case, stating that the investigation was incomplete and required further information.
Shaheem was the Islamic Minister when Dr. Afrasheem Ali was murdered in October 2012. According to the statement given by Shaheem to the commission, Dr. Afrasheem requested to go on the TV program aired on the night of his murder. However, text messages exchanged between Dr. Afrasheem and Dr. Shaheem obtained by the commission show it was Dr. Shaheem invited Dr. Afrasheem to the Ministry. The former MP was murdered in the stairwell of his residence when he returned home after the TV program.
The commission concluded that there were discrepancies between Shaheem's account and the text messages obtained for investigation. However, Shaheem has denied that he gave false information to the commission.
While the commission is pursuing charges against Dr. Shaheem, the parliament has approved to take action against Shaheem, and religious organization Jammiyath Salaf based on the report published by the commission. Both Shaheem and the opposition claim the government is going after Shaheem to destroy his political career.
Shaheem was former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom's running mate during the 2018 presidential election. He was recently ranked among the 500 most influential Muslims. He is currently an advisor to Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC)'s Secretary General, and based at Saudi Arabia.
