Dr Munavvar Vows to Resign If External Influence Affects Presidential Commission’s Investigation

President of the Special Presidential Commission to investigate the fall of the 21-year-old woman, Dr Mohamed Munavvar, assured the public today that if he notices external influence on the commission’s investigation, he will resign from it without attempting to cover up. He assures that he will reveal such an attempt to the public and will resign from the commission.

At today’s press conference at the President’s Office, Dr Munavvar stated with confidence that he would not come under external influence. However, he added that if he ever found himself unable to direct the investigation as he sees fit due to such interference, he would resign from the commission.

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“I can assure you now even, that this will go independently (without influence). If this is not carried out independently, if due to the influence of any party we are unable to carry the investigation as we see fit, if [such a pressure] comes, [I] will resign,” Munavvar said in Dhivehi.

When asked later, the commission announced today that it had officially launched its investigation and that progress was going smoothly. Dr Munavvar stated that the commission plans to hold a series of meetings with the relevant authorities as part of the inquiry. 

In response to media questions, he emphasised that the public demands justice, and he pledged to ensure it is served. He also noted that the investigation remains ongoing and involves criminal aspects, as the commission has yet to fully determine what took place.

Citing the presidential mandate that defines the commission’s scope, Dr Munavvar said their role is to carry out a fair and independent investigation and to uphold justice. He stressed that the commission does not intend to interfere with the police investigation or duplicate its work.

“We [the commission] have agreed, the talent, the investigative talent, lies with the Maldivian Police Service. We are looking to be as thorough as possible regarding the police investigation,” he said. 

Dr Munavvar added that it is up to the President to decide whether the commission will take over the investigation or continue in its current role.

“Not Enough Done Yet”

Commenting on the investigation’s progress, he acknowledged that the commission had not yet done enough to provide clear answers to many of the questions raised by the media. When asked whether the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Mohamed Ameen, had interfered with the live broadcast of a police press conference, Dr Munavvar said that the investigation has not yet proceeded to that extent. However, he assured that if the claims prove accurate, the commission would investigate the matter and proceed accordingly.

On April 28, a 21-year-old woman was found on the roof of a warehouse, after she had fallen from the ninth floor of a house in Male’ called Henveiru Fentanoya. She was taken to Malaysia on Sunday for further medical treatment, before which she had been receiving treatment in Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH). Her family assured that she underwent a critical spine surgery yesterday and that it was successful. They hope she is able to sit up soon.