Maaz Saleem participated in the assault: Police

The police have said that Council Member of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Ahmed Saleem (Maaz Saleem) was involved in assaulting the captain of a ferry between Male’ and Hulhule’, in relation to suspicions that Saleem’s iPad had been stolen.

The police said in a statement tonight that after the incident regarding the theft of Saleem’s iPad was reported, by the time the police arrived at the scene, the ferry was approaching the jetty opposite Nasandhura Palace Hotel. The police said that Saleem was waiting at the jetty with a group of people.

As the ferry approached the jetty, Saleem and his group went on board and assaulted the captain, said the police.

The statement says that the police intervened and tried to stop the assault.

“The crew on board the ferry have told the police during the investigation that Saleem was also involved in assaulting the captain,” reads the statement.

The statement says that when Saleem went on board the ferry with his group of five, and started assaulting the captain, a captain from another boat got on the ferry and steered it away from the jetty, while the police officers at the scene tried to stop the assault.

The police said that Saleem and the five people threatened the captain, and forced him to drive the ferry to Hulhule’ to find the iPad. They were arrested at sea near Funadhoo while on their way back to Male’, said the police.

The police said that the Criminal Court had released Saleem, but extended the detention periods of the five remaining people.

According to the statement, two police officers suffered minor injuries while trying to control the assault on the ferry.

The police said that their investigations had revealed that Saleem was involved in the assault and also incited violence, and that the group that went on board the ferry and assaulted the captain went there with Saleem.