CNI statements to be kept confidential

President Dr Mohamed Waheed has decided to keep confidential the statements given by various people to the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) for its investigation of the change of government.

Minister of Defence Mohamed Nazim told Sun today that the decision to keep the statements and audio and video evidence collected by the commission confidential for 25 years, was made by a presidential decree on 12 March.

He said that following this decision, efforts are ongoing to transfer the material to the supervision of the Ministry of Defence. He said that the items are not yet in the ministry’s possession.

Nazim said that the president made this decision under article 22 (b) and (c) of the Regulation on Right to Information.

Media Official of the President’s Office Masood Imad said that the president made this decision in order to protect the guarantee given to the people who provided information to CNI, that the information would not be made public.

“It is the responsibility of the government to protect the information collected by CNI, so this decision was made in order to protect the people who provided information to CNI from any danger that they might be exposed to if their names, or their statements, are revealed,” he said.

Speaking at a ceremony held last night by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to launch campaign halls for Alifu Alifu atoll, Alifu Dhaalu atoll and Vaavu atoll, Thoddoo MP Ali Waheed said that even though the government may hold the CNI statements confidential by a presidential decree under the supervision of Defence Minster Nazim, MDP will expose those statements under a new decree on 11 November.