PG advises Parliament to forward Zameel's case to Police for investigation

The Prosecutor General's Office has informed the Parliament that criminal charges against Defense Ministry Deputy Minister Mohamed Zameel can only be brought forward after a sufficient investigation and that charges cannot be brought forward on the request of the Parliament. 

The Deputy Defense Minister's case was submitted to the Parliament's Ethics Committee by Speaker of the Parliament Mohamed Nasheed, regarding a letter sent by the Defense Ministry and signed by Zameel which stated that specific officers of the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) cannot be summoned for the Parliament's Committee on National Security Services (241 Committee) inquiry into the May 6 terror attack targeting Nasheed. The Parliament requested even requested the PG to bring forth criminal charges against Zameel on the request of Speaker Nasheed. 

Regarding the request, PG Office Spokesperson and Public Prosecutor Ahmed Shafeeu said to Sun that the requested criminal charges against Zameel can only be lodged with a sufficient investigation by a law enforcement body, according to the Criminal Procedure Code of the Maldives. 

The code states that criminal charges should be accompanied with a sufficient investigation by a law enforcement body. 

Shafeeu said that the PG Office had advised the parliament to submit the case to a law enforcement body if criminal charges were warranted. 

The Parliament's Ethics Committee had last night rejected the case against Zameel submitted by Speaker Nasheed, with the vote of several MDP members on the Committee. The Committee chose to reject the case on the basis that Defense Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi, is the one to be held responsible for the move by her Ministry, rather than Zameel.

The rejection of the case by Nasheed, who is the leader of MDP, has led to tensions rising within the party.