Prosecutor General instructs police to expedite investigation into funders of attack on Nasheed

The Prosecutor General’s Office (PG Office) has ordered the police to expedite the investigation into the 2021 assassination attempt on former President and former Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed, specifically the long‑pending probe into those who financed the attack.

The PG Office told Sun that police have been instructed to fast‑track the funding angle and submit the case to prosecutors as soon as possible, noting that this part of the investigation has remained incomplete despite several reminders over the past three years.

“We have advised the police on April 8 to expedite the investigation of the people who funded the attack on President Nasheed and submit it to the Prosecutor General's Office as soon as possible,” the PG Office said.

Nasheed was attacked on May 6, 2021, when an IED attached to a motorcycle parked near his residence was detonated as he was about to get into his car. The explosion was one of the most serious terror attacks in recent Maldivian history and triggered a nationwide investigation involving multiple agencies.

The May 6 trials have so far produced only two convictions. Adhuham Ahmed Rasheed, Hiyaa, V. Thinadhoo, who confessed to detonating the IED, signed a plea deal with the prosecution and received a reduced sentence of 23 years in 2021. His conviction established the operational side of the attack but did not resolve who financed or organised it.

Another defendant, Abdulla Ali Manik, Bahaaruge, HA. Molhadhoo, was sentenced to five years for supporting a terror organisation on September 24 last year. However, Mohamed Thasleem, Alanaasige, HA. Hoarafushi, charged alongside him on the same count, was acquitted due to insufficient evidence, highlighting gaps that remain in the broader network investigation.

Despite these convictions, the financing and planning components of the case have stalled. Several hearings in 2022 and 2023 highlighted delays in obtaining forensic and financial‑tracking evidence, and the police have yet to submit a complete brief identifying the alleged funders.

Nasheed sustained serious injuries in the attack and later received treatment abroad. He has repeatedly called for the full truth behind the attack, including the financiers, to be uncovered, and international partners have also urged Maldives to complete the investigation.