No action yet on police found negligent in Yumnu probe

Action has yet to be taken against the individual police officers that an inquiry by a presidential commission found negligent in the investigation into ninth-floor fall of a young woman from a building in Male’ back in April.

21-year-old Mariyam Yumnu was found injured on the rooftop of a warehouse in the Henveiru district of the Maldivian capital at around 07:30 am on April 18. According to the police, their investigation uncovered that she fell from a skylight in the ninth-floor stairwell of the adjacent building, H. Fentenoy, but that there was no evidence of foul play – a claim that, according to her family, Yumnu disputes.

Before her fall, Yumnu had been part of a group of at least nine individuals who were at Ma. Maandhooge Dhekunuge – the family residence of Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen - for a party, where they are believed to have possibly consumed drugs and alcohol.

The family links between the persons of interest in Yumnu’s fall and influential figures, including Ameen, and the seemingly sluggish investigation into the case has sparked allegations of a police coverup and serial protests in the Maldivian capital.

On April 27, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu appointed a five-member presidential commission headed by Dr. Mohamed Munavvar to conduct an inquiry into the case.

The commission completed the inquiry and presented their findings to President Muizzu on June 17. The report found that individual officers involved in the investigation had been negligent in handing the case, and recommended action against them.

North Galolhu MP Mohamed Ibrahim (Kudu) filed a request with Home Minister Ali Ihusan asking if any action had been taken.

The written response by Ihusan to this query was read at the Parliament on Wednesday morning.

Ihusan wrote back that the police were conducting an internal investigation to determine the level to which individual police officers had been negligent, and were questioning necessary parties.

He said that the police were working to wrap up this investigation as soon as possible.

This response shows that action has yet to be taken against the police officers flagged in the June inquiry report.

“We are working on implementing the commission’s recommendations,” wrote Ihusan.

Key highlights from the inquiry report pertaining to the police investigation:

• No investigative officer showed up when the crime scene was processed
• This led to failure to immediately obtain comprehensive information and evidence needed for the investigation
• The scene of crime officer failed to properly process the entire crime scene, failed to do many of the things they are required to do, and left the scene within a short period of time
• No effort was made to collect evidence from one of the most important scenes – the rooftop on which Yumnu was found
• Failure to set the boundary for the crime scene or protect the crime scene

The report also flagged Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), where Yumnu was initially treated. The inquiry found that while the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) notified the Family Protection Unit (FPU) to test Yumnu for possible sexual assault, it failed to follow through after staff from FPU failed to show up.

The inquiry also uncovered that Ahmed Daud, the then-Undersecretary for Digital Strategy at the President’s Office, gave false statements to the police, and had communications with Ihusan multiple times on the day Yumnu was found on the rooftop.

Daud is the brother of Raudh Ahmed Zilal, who was with Yumnu in the last moments before her fall, and was the only person to get arrested in the case. In June, Raudh was charged with failure to aid a person in need under Section 618 of the Penal Code.

Daud was dismissed from the President’s Office after the inquiry report was publicized.

As for Ameen, the commission decided that it was hard to accept him calling then-Commissioner of Police Ali Shujau in the middle of a press briefing regarding the case, but ruled it did not affect the investigation.

Nearly six months in, police have yet to take the statement of Yumnu herself.

Yumnu, who sustained serious injuries in the fall, including multiple fractures, was initially treated at the IGMH’s ICU. She was flown to a hospital in Malaysia for further treatment on the night of April 26. In June, her family said she had been discharged from the hospital, but was still not in a condition to give a statement.