Minister Ihusan: Police negligent in probe into Zakiyya’s death

Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusan has admitted negligence by Maldives Police Service in their investigation into the death of a middle-aged woman who was found dead in her home in Holhudhoo in September last year with deep neck wounds.

Zakiyya Moosa, 50, was found dead on the floor inside the storeroom of her home New Life on the morning of September 10, 2024, with a knife beside her body. Some in Holhudhoo believe she was killed, and have repeatedly held rallies urging the police to speed up the investigation and provide closure to the grieving family.

Minister Ihusan and Commissioner of Police Ali Shujau visited Hulhudhoo and met with the residents of the island to hear their concerns regarding Zakiyya’s death.

Speaking during the meeting, Minister Ihusan acknowledged that his visit to Holhudhoo had come way later than it should have in his capacity as the minister and as such, extended an apology to the residents. He expressed his belief that these issues should be handled in a much better manner.

Hulhudhoo residents have questioned the decision by the Police to bury Zakiyya without conducting an autopsy. Responding to this, Minister Ihusan said a foreign doctor, who had previously conducted many autopsies, had examined Zakiyya’s body. Nevertheless, he admitted that the choice to forgo an autopsy was not the best.

Minister Ihusan affirmed that the investigation into Zakiyya’s death will continue until answers that satisfy the concerns of the Holhudhoo residents can be uncovered.

He urged anyone who believes they have information not yet revealed in the investigation to come forward on Wednesday. Additionally, he said residents who wish to meet with him privately to discuss their concerns will have the chance to do so on Wednesday.

“What I want to say is, I believe there are somethings that have taken place that amounts to negligence from the Police’s side,” he added.

Minister Ihusan guaranteed that all necessary cooperation would be provided to the Police at every investigation stage.

‘Hard to believe Zakiyaa died under ordinary circumstances’

CP Shujau who also attended the meeting said it was hard to believe Zakiyya died under ordinary circumstances.

He assured that any negligence by the Police in their investigation into Zakiyya’s death will be probed. In this regard, he noted the case is already being investigated by the National Integrity Commission (NIC) and Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM).

He added that he will again appeal to the heads of these institutions to expedite their investigations if there are delays as it could further impact the authorities' credibility. He also assured that any negligence on the Police side will be uncovered during these investigations and subsequently, action will be taken against those identified as responsible.

The second point noted by CP Shujau is the fact that the Police met with all individuals who had requested to meet them concerning Zakiyya’s death. He added that efforts are underway to order a review of one such meeting, after taking note of some issues.

Speaking further, CP Shujau, citing the case involved the death, said it was also his responsibility to uncover the truth. He noted that the Police have met with two teams of foreign experts in connection to the case, and sought their opinion.

Additionally, he said efforts were also being undertaken to consult with a pathologist, mental health professionals, and experts in similar cases, with the information collected during the investigation so far.

He admitted that the Police, as the residents of the island have criticized, have taken too long to come to a specific decision in the case.

“The reason for the delay is the ongoing efforts to uncover the truth, as we too cannot believe the death was under ordinary circumstances based on the evidence,” he added.

CP Shujau said the report will be disclosed after completion of the investigation.

A special investigative team had been deployed to Holhudhoo from the capital on September 10, and her body was transported to Male’ for forensic analysis later that night. Her body was transported back to Holhudhoo and buried on September 12.

While the residents of Holhudhoo have raised several concerns about Zakiyya's death, one of the main allegations against the Police is that they cleared up the crime scene. In this regard, the residents claim that regular officers who were first on the scene cleared it before the forensic team arrived on the island.

In a press briefing in December, Head of Death and Homicide Investigation Unit, Chief Inspector of Police Mohamed Samih said that the forensic pathologist who examined Zakiyya’s body in Male’ ruled that she died from the wounds to her neck.

But he said the police found no evidence of foul play.

According to Samih, Zakiyya was found with multiple knife-wounds to her neck; three deep wounds in the right side, two deep wounds in the left, and a shallower one in the middle.

Many had questioned the reason why the police did not conduct an autopsy.

However, Samih told reporters that the autopsy had not been necessary as the forensic pathologist had already established that Zakiyya had died of the wounds to her neck. He said that the autopsy would not have uncovered any new information.

Many in Holhudhoo are unable to believe she could have killed herself in such a violent manner. The island community has repeatedly rallied against the delay in the police investigation.

Zakiyya is survived by her husband, two sons and one grandchild.