#Maldives: MP murdered by gangs paid by ex-President Nasheed's party MDP - Social Media

#Maldives: Fresh reports on social media state that Mariyam Naifa, a senior MDP activist, paid three gang members to murder MP Dr. Afraasheem Ali. All four arrested are front line members of former President Nasheed's party, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). Dr. Afraasheem has been the target of former President Nasheed and his party leaders while serving as Vice President of the Judicial Services Commission (JSC). Days before his murder, Nasheed launched a book by a close friend and MDP Activist Aishath Velezinee which denounces Dr. Afraasheem as deliberately obstructing justice, subverting the Judiciary, and undermining the Constitution. Nasheed is currently running from the law, refusing to appear before the court in a human rights case brought against him by the country's independent Prosecutor General. Dr. Afraasheem belonged to the party headed by former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Progressive Party of Maldives. He was found violently hacked to death a few days ago, lying in a pool of blood in his home compound. Part of his scalp had been separated from his head by the violence of the attack.

Social media report that the killing blows were delivered by a gang member called Humam. MDP activist Naifa (pic), a close friend of Nasheed's cousin MDP MP Eva Abdulla, paid the murderers (pic) a large sum of money that same night. Eye witnesses report that Naifa threw her phone into the sea at time of police arrest in connection with murder of PPM MP Dr. Afraasheem. At the time she was sitting at Dolphin Cafe' (Henveyru) with MDP lawyer Ahmed Abdulla Afeef (pic). Afeef attempted to prevent the arrest, and then to get her released immediately. He claimed that he was her lawyer. Social media commentators speculate that Afeef was present because MDP was aware that Naifa's arrest was imminent. 

Hours before, the first suspect, an individual called Humam, a member of MDP Interim President Reeko Moosa Maniku's "security" gang, had been arrested with blood on his hands and clothes, hiding in a bedroom of a home nearby the victim's. Blood stained tissues had been found on the road leading to the house. Humam's phone reportedly carried a message from him reporting that the job was done, and a reply reporting that cash had been received. Humam is said to be very close to Reeko Moosa Maniku, functioning as both a personal security guard and coordinator of attacks on rival politicians and attacks on police during MDP riots. Humam is also reported to led the attack on VTV earlier this year.

Humam, and second detainee Ali Hashim, are said to be members of a knife wielding gang in Male' called Kuda Henveyru Gang. Within minutes of the discovery of Dr. Afraasheem's body, members of other gangs had been informed that the contract had been carried out by Humam.The word was immediately out in the gang networks to stay away from Humam and Smith who had gone into hiding. Members of another gang, present by coincidence near a park adjacent to the block containing the victim's house, report urgent calls from members of Kuda Henveyru gang to report eye witness accounts of the dead body as it was carried out by the police. The request was reportedly for confirmation that Dr. Afraasheem was dead.

Social media chat (pic) between the girlfriend of Ali Hashim (gang name SMITH) shows her telling a friend that "Smith" was acting wierd that night. She said that "Smith" was "missing that nyt" and that his phone was switched off for a long time. Later "Smith" reappeared, acting "wierd" and very "proud", according to his girlfriend. He had  proudly told his girlfriend that they would have no more money worries. "Smith" was a frontline activist of MDP, bearing the MDP flag in its riots on Male' streets. Smith himself is reported to provide personal security to MDP Interim President Reeko Moosa Maniku. Reeko Moosa Maniku is well known to the public for repeatedly calling for the death of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and his family. He also has a reputation for calling for the death of various political opponents, during his speeches at party rallies. 

The fourth individual is reported on social media to be called Shahin. It is not known whether he too was a member of the Kuda Henveryru gang.

Maldives Police have not confirmed the identity of any of the four persons arrested nor any details of the murder or the details of thee involvement of the four detainees.

An audio was released by police earlier this year, in which former President Nasheed instructs MDP MP Mariya Didi to find a gang of youth who would attack police, in retaliation for police crackdown on MDP illegal activities on the South side of Male'. 

In addition to the murdered Dr. Afraasheem, Aishath Velezinee's vitriolic attack on the Judicial Services Commission and the Judiciary names Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid and the former president of the JSC ex-Justice Mujthaz Fahmy as "traitors" to the country who "carried out the biggest traitorous act in the history of the country". The contents of the book have been widely circulated through social media and through Minivan News, a newspaper owned by Nasheed's college friend Christian missionary David Hardingham. 

Nasheed and MDP have declared the Judiciary defunct and publicly announced that they would not abide by any orders by the Judiciary. Nasheed has violated two court orders already, by not appearing for the first hearing of the human rights case against him for the unlawful arrest of Judge Abdulla Mohamed and by leaving the court's jurisdiction while the trial was scheduled.

In the aftermath of the brutal murder of Dr. Afraasheem, several politicans previously vocal against Nasheed and his party, have refused to appear on public media. Several did not even attend the funeral prayers for Dr. Afraasheem, reportedly because of death threats against them. Some others appear in public surrounded by private "security". 

A research report released today on a Rapid Assessment of Gangs in Maldives highlighted that gang members reported that they were being paid as much as one million Rufiya by politicians for killing a political target. The gang leader would be contacted the client and a file on the target be handed to the gang leader with instructions to kill and the offer of a large sum of money. Exact amounts received would be known only to the gang leader, it was reported. The study was conducted by a team of psychologists, funded by the Asia Foundation.