No Political Motivation Behing Nasheed’s Assassination Attempt, Says Foreign Envoy

Abbas Faiz, the foreign envoy tasked with investigating the assassination attempt on Parliament Speaker Mohamed Nasheed, revealed that they did not uncover any evidence implicating a political entity in the attack.

Initially, there were suspicions that the political opposition might have been involved in the attempt on Nasheed’s life. 

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However, Faiz stated that the investigation has now concluded that neither any individual nor any entity within the state or the opposition had any role in the attack.

Contrary to initial speculation that the attack was connected to Nasheed’s intent to expose corruption within the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), Faiz clarified, “We learned that the people who organised this attempt had begun preparing for the attack way before Nasheed said he would reveal the individuals behind the MMPRC corruption.”

Faiz further highlighted that the investigation’s findings have consistently pointed towards the involvement of religious radicals in the attack. Importantly, there was no evidence to suggest any links to foreign radical groups.

One concerning aspect emphasised by the foreign envoy was the unidentified financiers behind the attack. Faiz revealed that these individuals financed the operation independently, without any external sources. 

He noted, “They did not spend on anything outside of the cell for the attack. They have purchased the equipment used for the attack through their accounts, which we saw from the transaction details, which did not come from abroad.”

Faiz underscored the commitment to an uninterrupted and thorough investigation, leaving open the possibility of new findings. His dissatisfaction with the pace of the court trial related to the assassination attempt was also apparent. 

Faiz expressed his reservations about the justification provided by Criminal Court judges, citing the court building’s condition as a hindrance to the proceedings. He recommended that the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) take steps to ensure the smooth operation of the judiciary.