This party cannot be blamed for the murder of Dr Afrasheem: MDP

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has said that the reports being spread by the government and the police regarding the trial of the murder of former Ungoofaaru MP Dr Afrasheem Ali are nonsensical and hostile.

This came in a statement issued by MDP today, six days after Hussain Humaam Ahmed’s confession in court to the murder of Dr Afrasheem.

MDP said that various efforts are being made to blame MDP for Dr Afrasheem’s murder, including a remark by President of Adhaalath Party Sheikh Imran Abdullah at a rally of the National Movement, that Dr Afrasheem's murder will be used as a weapon against MDP until the presidential election is over. MDP said that this remark shows that the hostile reports against MDP in relation to this case are serious and planned crimes.

MDP called on all rival political parties to conduct responsible political activities instead of spreading hostile reports that can create doubt, division and resentment among people.

The party also called on the people to be heedful of the baseless, hostile reports.

Meanwhile, what Imran Abdullah said at the rally was that the people who planned, funded and carried out the murder of Dr Afrasheem must be brought to justice, and that there is no way that MDP cannot be blamed for this murder.

MDP also said in the statement that the legitimacy of the murder investigation carried out by the police is questionable, and noted that it cannot be justified to blame people affiliated to MDP based on a dubious confession in court by a suspect, before the case is proven in court.

In court on Wednesday, Humaam said that the task of killing Dr Afrasheem was first assigned to him by Corporal Azlif Raoof.

Afterwards, Humaam met with Azlif, MDP Chairperson Reeko Moosa Manik’s son-in-law Abdullah Javid, and Javid’s brother Janaa at Jalapeno restaurant to plan and discuss the murder.

Following Humaam’s confession, President Dr Mohamed Waheed has also passed comments implying MDP’s involvement in the murder. He said that MDP Presidential Candidate, former President Mohamed Nasheed has connections with the people suspected of having funded the murder.

Shortly after the murder, Nasheed said that the person who had carried out the murder had fled the country.

“I have been informed that the person who murdered Dr Afrasheem left the country that night. He departed to a middle-eastern country that night. This murder is related to an incident that took place in a country close to Maldives. This is an international incident,” Nasheed said while speaking in Haa Dhaalu Vikaradhoo in December 2012.