Pres. Yameen silent in Rilwan's case

President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom has refused to speak out in the case of murdered journalist Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla.

The revelations by the presidential commission on Sunday, stated that the evidence gathered had showed Rilwan was abducted from Hulhumale’ where he resided, forced into a car, put on board a dinghy boat, transferred to another vessel, and then murdered in the early hours of August 8, 2014. It announced that the Al-Qaeda branch in the Maldives was responsible for both Rilwan’s abduction and murder.

The commission also alleged that former president Yameen had sought to disrupt and impede the investigation into Rilwan's disappearance. 

President Yameen refused to answer repeated inquiries into this line of questioning when he met with reporters yesterday before departing for a campaign trip within the Maldives.

"I have released a statement regarding the matter," was president Yameen's reply when asked about the case.

The reply by the main opposition political party PPM led by president Yameen did not give a direct answer to the allegations against him. The former president said that the statement by his party had refuted the claims and refused to answer any further questions regarding the matter.

"No, No. The details are there (in the statement). I have said that it (allegations) is not true," said the former president in an irritated manner.

The president of the commission Husnu Al Suood had stated that president Yameen had tried to disrupt the investigation using different types of black magic and even sent the authorities on wild goose chases. He also stated that there was no direct link between President Yameen and the case so charges would not be brought against the ex-president.

These statements were condemned by PPM in a statement which also claimed that the evidence found in the investigation was originally found during president Yameen's administration.