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Tuesday 29 Apr 2025
LOCAL EDITION
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LOCAL EDITION
(From R-L) Combined photos of Moosa Murad, Jabeen Mohamed, and Aminath Eenaas, who was appointed to presidential commission formed to probe young woman's fall.
Two females have been appointed to the presidential commission set up to conduct an inquiry into the case of a young woman found injured on the rooftop of a building in Male’ after public scrutiny over the absence of female representation on the Commission.
The President’s Office said the Commission is tasked with conducting an independent and credible investigation into the incident and is, as such, responsible for establishing the facts, reviewing the actions of relevant institutions, recommending necessary measures, and ensuring a fair and impartial investigation.
The Commission first comprised of three male members: Dr. Mohamed Munavvar, Brigadier General (Retired) Ahmed Mohamed, and Dr. Mohamed Habeeb.
Munavvar was designated the chairperson of the Committee.
The lack of women in an inquiry into a sensitive case involving a young female victim has sparked criticism.
Moreover, Habeeb resigned from the Commission just a day after it was incepted. While Habeeb declined to comment on his decision when Sun reached out, Sun has learned that Habeeb, a native of Addu City’s Hithadhoo district, is third cousins with the mother of the prime person of interest in the case—Raudh Ahmed Zilal, who had been with Yumnu moments before her fall.
But it is unclear if this is the reason for his resignation.
The President subsequently changed the composition of the Commission, making three new appointments – two of them female. The new appointees are:
Eanas had served as the president of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) during former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom’s administration. She is also member of the Housing Committee formed by President Muizzu to advise regarding complaints submitted over the former administration’s ‘Binveriya’ and ‘Gedhoruvariya’ housing schemes.
21-year-old Mariyam Yumnu was found injured on the rooftop of a warehouse in the Henveiru district at around 07:30 am on April 18. According to the police, their investigation uncovered that she fell from a skylight on the ninth-floor stairwell of the adjacent building, H. Fentenoy, but that there was no evidence of foul play.
There soon emerged allegations of a police coverup after it became known that the individuals involved have family links to influential figures, including a cabinet minister and a diplomat.
The police had initially refused to name anyone else except for Yumnu. It wasn’t until six days later – on April 24 – that the police finally named eight people who had been with Yumnu in the party as persons of interest. Raudh Ahmed Zilal, 21; Izdhiyaan Mohamed Maumoon, 28; Aishath Layaaly Iqbal, 22; Yoosuf Ahmed Akram, 22; Yoosuf Yassar Abdul Ghafoor, 28; Aminath Junaina Jamsheed, 24; Hussain Hamees Ali, 28; and Ijaz Jaiz, 24.
Meanwhile, the house where the group held the party was confirmed as the family residence of Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen, who admitted that two of his nephews – Izdhiyaan and Akram - were among the group of individuals involved, but denied he knew anything about what he described as the “gathering.”
The police have said that both Yumnu and Raudh were heavily intoxicated at the time, and had both tested positive for narcotics. Clips of CCTV footage shared by police show Yumnu appeared to have trouble walking, and even fell down on the ground at one point.
The court order issued on Friday for Raudh’s remand extension by five days shows investigators believe Yumnu and Raudh had argued before she fell – something the police hadn’t mentioned in two press briefings held in the wake of the incident – a closed-door one on Tuesday and the open one on Thursday.
It also says that when questioned shortly after Yumnu’s fall, Raudh had responded with “I don’t know where she is” and “I think she fell.”
The youth-led protest movement formed in the wake of the incident continues to demand the resignation of Transport Minister Ameen, and Home Minister Ali Ihusan.
Meanwhile, the then-Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Shujau bowed under pressure and tendered his resignation on Saturday night, following four straight nights of protest.
