Lawyer: Ex-MP Mohamed Ismail framed, police have no evidence

Police have no evidence to back the allegations against former MP Mohamed Ismail, a senior official at opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) who was arrested in connection to the mob attack on a Yoga Day event in Male’ City in June, says his lawyer, Ali Shah.

In a press conference held by legal representatives of the suspects arrested in connection to the case on Saturday evening, Shah said the allegations against Mohamed were baseless.

“Looking at the charges against Mohamed, police are unable to explain anything he did to commit an act of terrorism. They are also unable to explain what he did to turn a lawful assembly into an unlawful assembly,” he said.

Shah accused the police of repeated attempts to apply the law harshly against Mohamed, and frame and detain him.

The court granted a 30-day extension to Mohamed’s remand last week.

Shah said the standard criminal procedure declares the circumstances under which extensions may be granted on remand of suspects, and that the 30-day remand extension issued against his client was unlawful.

Shah said that he had been unable to get access to the remand order issued by the court in order to file an appeal to determine the legal basis for the decision, and that efforts to get the order through the police also remained unsuccessful.

“I tried until this press conference began to obtain the order issued by the Criminal Court. I also tried to get the order through the police. But the police IO [investigative officer] himself told me they hadn’t received the court order,” he said.

Shah said he found the remarks by the prosecutor in the last remand hearing saddening.

“The representative from the PG Office said during the hearing that only two answers were required; whether Mohamed had a criminal record and whether there was event the slightest suspicion against him. That his remand can be extended if the requirements are met,” he said.

Shah said that during the hearing, Mohamed swore by Almighty Allah that he did not commit any of the crimes he was accused of, and did not take part in the gathering.

But Mohamed is suspected by police of being involved in organizing and executing the gathering, he said.

Another lawyer, Adam Asif said it was highly “unprofessional” of the police to accuse people of being behind the mob attack without conducting a proper criminal investigation first.

Asif said that the incident was being highly politicized. He said that the police statement implying the opposition coalition had a hand in the attack before they launched a proper investigation proved the police had politicized the case from the start.

“This is being highly politicized. The investigation began by politicizing it. The things that happened then and the things happening now shows that,” he said.

Asif said it shows the foundation of the police investigation into the case was faulty.

The yoga event, organized by the Indian Cultural Center and the Sports Ministry, was held on the morning of June 21, and was attended by dozens of participants, foreign ambassadors including Indian High Commissioner Munu Mahawar, diplomats, and government officials.

A mob of angry protestors had stormed the stadium, and threatened and assaulted some of the participants, and destroyed property.

Police issued a statement the same day stating preliminary investigative findings showed some of the items used by the mob had come from the office of PPM.

Police have arrested 21 suspects in connection to the mob attack on the event, including local Islamic scholars Al-Sheikh Adam Nishan and Al-Sheikh Mohamed Fazloon.

The case is under investigation by the Serious and Organized Crime Department.