Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Dr Mohamed Shainee has said that as soon as it went off, it was obvious to those who felt the blast on the presidential speedboat that it was not a mechanical failure.

Dr Shainee was on-board the speedboat alongside President Abdulla Yameen when the explosion occurred.

In an interview, Dr Shainee told Sun Media that it was an assassination attempt on the President.

He said that everyone was seated when the object went off, and First Lady Fathimath Ibrahim happened to be in the seat usually occupied by President Yameen.

First Lady Fathimath was thrown and fell close to the door, and at first did not appear to be conscious but started responding after a while, he said.

“Madam said it felt like someone had shot her in the back. Her clothes were ripped,” he said.

He added that the impact of the blast would have been much worse if the door hadn’t come off.

“It is obvious that it was a deliberate act. Madam happened to be sitting there and was thrown and fell close to the door. If it had been the President, his weight would add to the force and he would have hit the door,” Dr Shainee said.

He said that Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) responded swiftly following the blast, but security on the speedboat was not up to standard that day.

“I believe an ambulance and other security features should have been in place as contingency, for example,” he said.

The explosion occurred as the presidential speedboat Finifenmaa approached Izzuddin Jetty in Malé on 28 September 2015. The President was returning after the hajj pilgrimage.

Three MNDF officers have been arrested, and the case is under investigation by a special commission.