President Waheed and Nasheed may be summoned for CNI report investigation

Chairman of the Committee on Oversight of the Government, Thoddoo MP Ali Waheed has made a statement implying that President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik and former President Mohamed Nasheed may be summoned to the committee, which is presently investigating the report of the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI).

Responding to a question posed by Sun at a press conference last night for providing information on the committee meetings held behind closed doors, to which persons who had provided information for the report have been summoned, Ali Waheed said the investigation of 6, 7 and 8 February will only be complete if President Waheed and Nasheed are included in it, and that the committee’s report will include ‘both sides of the story’.

He said that the decision to summon President Waheed and Nasheed will be finalised by committee members, and that if equal votes are received for both sides, he is prepared to cast the ‘casting vote’.

“[If we consider the change of government] former President Nasheed and President Waheed are key figures in the events of 6, 7 and 8 February. Without including them I don’t think 6, 7 8 will be complete. [Whether they will be summoned] I don’t know. That will be decided by the committee members. I would cast the casting vote,” he said.

Ali Waheed said that decisions will be made at upcoming committee meetings on summoning senior officials of the government to the committee, in addition to President Waheed and former President Nasheed.

He said that even though members express various opinions at unofficial deliberations, it was officially passed last night to summon five persons to the committee. They are former Defence Minister Thal’hath Ibrahim Kaleyfaan, former Home Minister Hassan Afeef, Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim, Chief of Defence force Ahmed Shiyam and Police Commissioner Abdullah Riyaz.

Ali Waheed did not indicate when they will be summoned.

He said that the purpose of investigating the report of CNI is not to ‘frame’ any political leader, and that this is evident in the efforts at the committee by members of pro-government parties and MDP members. He said that even though PPM decided after the meeting yesterday evening not to participate in the committee meetings, they are now attending the committee meetings as well. PPM members of the committee are Vili-Maafannu MP Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik and Thimarafushi MP Ahmed Shareef.

With six members, majority at the committee is held by MDP.

Ali Waheed said that the committee was conducting an ‘inquiry’, and that the report that will be compiled at the end will be based on ‘facts’ and not hearsay.

Seven people have been summoned to the committee for this investigation thus far. They are former Head of Police Intelligence Department Mohamed Hameed (MC Hameed), Head of MNDF Intelligence Department Brigadier General Ahmed Nilam, former Police Commissioner Ahmed Faseeh, former Head of Police Drug Enforcement Department Mohamed Jinah, former Human Rights Minister Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed, Brigadier General (Rtd) Ibrahim Didi and Colonel Mohamed Ziyad.

Former Chief of Defence Force Moosa Ali Jaleel will be summoned to the committee today.