Minister of Home Affairs Imran Abdulla has stated the previous government had seized the evidence he possessed in relation to the disappearance of journalist Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla in 2014.
The home minister made the remarks at the Parliament of the Maldives in response to a question by Parliamentarian Ahmed Shiyam, regarding the documents Imran had shown during the 2015 May Day Protests which he claimed was evidence that former President Abdulla Yameen was involved in the disappearance of Rilwan.
In response to the question, Home Minister Imran said he was arrested and imprisoned immediately following the May Day Protests and that the documents he held during the protest were seized by the police. The minister said an investigation is needed to find out what had happened to the documents and which police officers were involved in seizing the documents. However, he said there are many pending police investigations right now and that the investigations into the documents will be conducted at the right time.
Home Minister Imran was sentenced to 12 years in prison after the Criminal Court found him guilty of inciting violence during the May Day Protests. However, the sentence was later overturned by the Supreme Court of the Maldives.