The parliament on Tuesday passed a motion urging relevant authorities to take immediate measures against all parties that reportedly committed criminal offences, including Jamiyyath Salaf and former Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, in Dr Afrasheem Ali's murder.
Presidential Commission on Investigation of Murders and Enforced Disappearances listed various suspects in the report prepared on former Ungoofaaru MP and prominent scholar Afrasheem's assassination.
Parliamentary Committee on National Security Services included 11 recommendations after reviewing the commission's report. The Parliament passed the report, along with all the recommendations, with a majority vote of 47 members. 10 members voted against the report.
As per the commission's report, a group of religious extremists tasked Azlif Rauf with orchestrating Afrasheem's murder. The commission also listed the names of various individuals pertaining to the transactions that took place to fund the scholar's assassination.
The Parliament's recommendations include ordering authorities to investigate the details of these transactions through Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) and take necessary measures.
Jamiyyath Salaf was listed amongst the extremist organisations involved in activities connected to Afrasheem's death. The report also names the Al Qaeda organisation established in Maldives that split into two factions in 2014. One of the factions pledged loyalty to Islamic State (IS), while the other faction remained as is. The latter, also known as the Jabha faction, supports the ideologies of Jabha Al-Nusra, an extremist movement with roots in Syria and Iraq.
Moreover, the commission accuses Shaheem, who was also former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom's running mate for the 2018 Presidential Elections, of providing false information to the investigation, purposefully withholding information and not disclosing certain information at the relevant time.
Salaf and Shaheem both denied the commission's accusations but the motion passed by the Parliament calls for immediate action against all perpetrators mentioned in Afrasheem's murder report.
Till date, only Hussain Humam Ahmed was convicted of the murder, with the Supreme Court upholding his death sentence.
However, the commission's investigation maintains that Ali Shan, an initial suspect who was acquitted, may have participated in carrying out the killing as well. The report also noted that a minor and other individuals were known to be involved in the crime.
Recommendations passed by the Parliament demands action to be taken against Humam, Shan and the minor, in addition to the suspects accused of operating in Krusties restaurant and Afrasheem's residence during the night of the murder.
Other recommendations stated that the information of the suspects who left the country must be obtained from Maldives Immigration and legal action must be taken against all individuals who withheld information about the murder from the authorities.
Although the motion passed by the parliament called for immediate and strict action against suspects involved in the case, Minister of Home Affairs Imran Abdulla announced on Tuesday that the commission stated that no arrests can be made over the report due to insufficient evidence.
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