Gruesome details of Rilwan's murder revealed in report

The report of the Presidential Commission on Murders and Enforced Disappearances has revealed gruesome details regarding the murder of journalist Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla who went missing five years ago. 

A statement given to the report by a confidential witness has disclosed how Rilwan was murdered, how his murderers got rid of his body and even the names of the people involved in the act among other details.

Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla went missing on August 7, 2014, and the president of the Commission on Murders has confirmed during a news conference on Sunday that Rilwan was indeed murdered and pinned the murder on an affiliate of the terrorist group Al Qaeda that has been active in the Maldives. 

The statement by the witness read that Rilwan was decapitated on a boat and his body was sunk by the people involved after he was kidnapped from near his home. Rilwan was kidnapped and forced into a car near his residence in Hulhumale', from where he was transported to a dinghy, which in turn set out to the above-mentioned boat on which he was decapitated. 

The boat belonged to a person named Mohamed Raashid from Maavadiyaage, A.A Ukulhas and had been used for sea cucumber fishing. The witness also mentioned that Raashid and another man named Alqis from the same address had owned another boat and that both boats were used to gain finances for the operations of the extremist organization.

The boat was arranged by the alleged leader of the organizations' operations in the country named as Agleel (Kiddoo) from Gurahaage, S. Feydhoo, according to the report.

"Rilwan was taken on to the boat, where they cut off his head and sunk his body," read the statement by the witness in the Commission's report.

Two men had been following Rilwan since 10:00 on the night of his murder five years ago, according to the report. They were Mohamed Suwaid from Athireege, S. Hulhudhoo and a man named Mohamed Hamid. The two men had been following Rilwan according to the plans made by Aalif Rauf, Azlif Rauf and Mohamed Munaz (Munaakko) from Narugisvilla, Th. Omadhoo. 

Aalif, Munaz and another man named Shaffaaf were in the car that Rilwan was forced into on the night of his murder. Munaz was at the wheel of the car while Aalif was seated beside him. Shaffaaf was seated at the back according to the witnesses' statement.

The car was followed by Suwaid two others named Solah and Ismail Sabeeh (Shabeenio) from Dhadofeeshi, Dhadimagu in Gn. Fuvahmulah.

Rilwan's grieving family has stated that they do not intend to forgive those who carried out this heinous act. The family has also called for legal action against some senior officials from the previous administration amid allegations that they tried to impede the investigation into Rilwan's disappearance.