Rilwan was followed the night he disappeared, claims report

An investigation report by a foreign group, commissioned by the Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN), has claimed that CCTV footage shows evidence that Ahmed Rilwan was followed by two members of a gang in Male’ on the night that he disappeared.

Minivan News journalist Rilwan has been missing now for 46 days.

Minivan News has reported that the first suspect mentioned in the report arrived at the ferry terminal minutes before Rilwan’s arrival and proceeded to look around inside the waiting area, while the second suspect waited outside.

The two suspects “deliberately disassociate from each other whilst at the terminal and do not demonstrate that they have an existing relationship,” states the report.

The report further claims that cell phone data from the first suspect’s phone shows a flurry a SMS activity between his phone and a second handset, and that “it is entirely possible that their task was to provide advance notification of Rilwan’s arrival at the terminal and confirmation of his boarding the ferry.”

The four passports seized by the police in relation to their investigation of Rilwan’s disappearance include the passport of one of the suspects mentioned in the report.