The investigative report compiled by the Commission on Investigation of Murders and Enforced Disappearances regarding the disappearance of journalist Ahmed Rilwan, revealed that he was decapitated and drowned following his abduction.
A summary of the commission's draft report on its investigation was publicised on the parliament's website after Husnu al-Suood, the commission's president, presented the report to Speaker of Parliament and former President Mohamed Nasheed on Monday.
The summary of the report further elaborated on the commission's findings, which Suood had disclosed earlier in a press conference held last Sunday.
The report confirmed that Rilwan's murder resulted from a clash between some liberals and an extremist group, the latter reportedly being an affiliate of the militant multi-national extremist organization, al-Qaeda.
Rilwan was abducted near his apartment in reclaimed suburb Hulhumale', and forced into a red car. According to Suood's statement on Sunday, the journalist was then transferred to a dinghy and then killed aboard another marine vessel. The report noted that only one of two witnesses stated that Rilwan had been transferred to a dinghy. However, both witnesses testified that Rilwan was taken aboard a 'dhoni' ( traditional Maldivian boat).
According to a witness cited in the report, Rilwan was taken aboard a vessel from Ukulhas, Alif Alif Atoll, owned by a man named Mohamed Rashid of Maavadiaage house. The boat was connected to the local extremist group that allegedly killed Rilwan, according to the report. Suood had stated in the press conference that the group in question was affiliated with al-Qaeda.
As per the report, an individual from the same house owned another boat. The two vessels were registered for sea cucumber fisheries in Ukulhas, and they were reportedly used to finance the extremist group.
Local media Mihaaru cited sources that the vessel in question was sold off circa 2014.
The report revealed that the vessel to which Rilwan was taken had been arranged by a man named Agleel (Kidoo) of Feydhoo, Addu Atoll, who was identified as a key figure in the extremist group's operations.
A secret witness testified that Rilwan was decapitated aboard the vessel, after which his body was drowned.
Another confidential witness testified that a conversation with a man named Saamith Mohamed of Athireege house in Omadhoo, Thaa Atoll, revealed that the latter had carried out the act of decapitating the journalist. Saamith is affiliated with Jabhat al-Nusra, an organization that has reportedly established extremist groups in Maldives.
The commission's report further disclosed that two officers working in police intelligence, Mohamed Jinah and Ibrahim Riffath, had tapped Rilwan's phone calls from April 24, 2014 to July 21, 2014.
Jinah reportedly questioned another intelligence officer, Ahmed Hameed Abdul Raheem, about Rilwan's Twitter handle, '@moyameeha', to which the latter replied he did not know the user. However, the report noted that Jinah had later approached Raheem with information on Rilwan and declared that he had found out the identity of @moyameeha.
Jinah further claimed that he looked into @moyameeha's identity on the orders of Mohamed Fayaz Ismail, another intel officer, according to the report.
In addition, the report revealed that Jinah informed Abdul Raheem of a missing journalist and secularist, before Rilwan's family filed missing persons report on August 11, 2014.
The report on the commission's findings comes five years after Ahmed Rilwan went missing. Despite various rumours that were in circulation in the public sphere over the years, this marks the first time for authorities to confirm his death.
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