Solih: Will arrest ‘anyone necessary’ for Rilwan murder probe

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih says his administration was committed to arresting anyone necessary in connection to the 2014 abduction and murder of journalist Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla.

The President provided the assurance during a press briefing on Commission on Disappearances and Deaths’ findings into Rilwan’s disappearance this Monday.

Rilwan, a journalist from Minivan News (later rebranded as Maldives Independent), went missing in the early hours of August 8, 2014.

Commission on Disappearances and Deaths recently announced that it has evidence he was abducted from Hulhumale’ where he resided, forced into a car, put on board a dinghy boat, transferred to another vessel, beheaded, and his body thrown overboard on August 8, 2014.

The announcement provided the first official confirmation Rilwan had been killed.

President Solih, in this Monday’s press briefing, said he met with senior officials from State agencies for discussions regarding the commission’s findings on Sunday, during which all agencies agreed to expedite the immediate action which needs to be taken in response to the commission’s findings.

He said that State agencies will question anyone who needed to be questioned, and arrest anyone who needed to be questioned without delay.

President Solih noted that some of the relevant State agencies had been briefed on the commission’s findings when the draft report of the commission’s findings had been publicized, leading to difficulties in enforcing collaborative action.

He said that all relevant State agencies had now come to agreement, and promised immediate action, which he will manifest this Monday itself.

“Immediately. Relevant agencies will take speedy action today itself. It will become apparent to you once it manifests into action,” said President Solih.

He stressed that action in response to the commission’s findings is being carried out collaboratively, by all relevant State agencies, and not within the presidential commission’s mandate.

“The commission’s role is to investigate cases involving murders and enforced disappearances. Everything required outside of this will be carried out through police investigations. The Attorney General and Prosecutor General also has a role to play in this,” he said.