Government "formally acknowledges" that Luthufy has become a fugitive

The Maldivian government has at last "formally accepted" that Abdullah Luthufee, the leader of a gang of traitors who brought nearly 100 Tamil mercenaries from Sri Lanka to usurp the Maldivian government in 1988 and killed 19 Maldivians in an attack against Malé, is now a fugitive.

After Luthufee and his gang of traitorous rebels used mercenaries to seize power in the Maldives on the 3rd of November 1988, they were tried in the Maldives and Luthufee was sentenced to death penalty, a sentence which was mitigated to life in jail by the then President Maumoon Abdul Qayyoom.

Abdullah Luthufee was given permission to go to Sri Lanka for allegedly medical reasons in 2009 by the Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services (DPRS). The permission was valid until January 2010, although Luthufee has not yet returned from his “medical trip”.

Sun has come to know from inside sources that the DPRS has listed Luthufee as “a fugitive who is hiding from justice”. Also, it has been reported that the DPRS has officially informed the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Maldives Police Services, and other concerned authorities that Luthufy has eluded efforts to locate him.

However, the Ministry of Home Affairs declined to confirm the reports.

When asked about Luthufee, State Minister for Home Affairs Mohamed “Monaza” Naeem today told Sun to submit a written request if any information is needed regarding a particular individual.

Police Media Official Ahmed Shiyam said that if such a report from the DPRS had been communicated, the police would do anything they could to take necessary steps, although he too declined to give a specific answer to the question about Luthufee.

Sun has obtained reports which claim that Luthufee has told some friends that he would not come back to the Maldives again.

Luthufee, the murderer of 19 Maldivians in an unjustified attack against the country has recently given an interview to the Lankan daily The Island, on the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of his failed attempt to seize power here. In the interview, he has claimed that his attack on the country was aimed at ousting the then President Maumoon from power, and Luthufee has expressed his opinion that he was forced to do that as the Maldives did not then tolerate political dissention. Luthufee also said in the interview that Mohamed Nasheed, the current President of the Maldives is “a good friend of his”.