Majlis committee requested to probe Zaidhul's coercion claim

Committee on National Security of People’s Majlis has been requested to investigate claim Male’ City councilor Zaidhul Ameen was coerced by police to provide statement against former Maldivian President and Leader of Progressive Party of Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

The request was sent via letter to the committee by the former Commissioner of Police, Kinbidhoo MP Abdulla Riyaz.

MP Abdulla Riyaz said that Zaidhul Ameen had made serious allegations against the police, including using coercion to obtain a statement against President Maumoon.

Abdulla Riyaz requested that the committee look into the allegation as the people needed to have complete confidence in Maldives Police Service.

In the statement, Zaidhul Ameen said that despite being suspected of blackmail, the police had not been able to say who his alleged victim was and had not found any evidence to support the suspicion from his mobile phone or laptop.

He said that after the police failed to find any incriminating evidence against him, investigative officers repeatedly press him to provide a statement saying the missing hard disks from the headquarters of ruling Progressive Party of Maldives were taken by its leader, the former

Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, and that Maumoon was conspiring against the current administration.

Zaidhul Ameen said that the investigative officers said that his statement was vital for Maumoon’s arrest, and repeatedly threatened him that he would have to share the same fate as the activist Shumba Gong and lay incarcerated with no trial.

He was a member of the faction of the ruling PPM aligned with Maumoon before he was kicked out.

Zaidhul was arrested for blackmail by the police on January 13.

He was transferred to house arrest and then transferred back to police detention on February 22.