Fleeing suspect told Yameen Rilwan's fate: Commission

A presidential commission set up to investigate deaths and disappearances revealed Thursday that Mohamed Munaz, accused of being involved in the disappearance of Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan, left for Syria after telling then President Abdulla Yameen what really happened to Rilwan.

The commission made the revelation at a press conference held Thursday afternoon after submitting the report of the cases investigated by the commission to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

Commissioner Misbah Abbas said the police investigation into Rilwan's murder had revealed that some senior officials of the then government had tried to secure the release of some of those that had been arrested. Misbah said the commission had found close links between some of the people responsible for the act and top officials of the then government.

Misbah said that the commission was informed by a person close to Munaz, who was involved in recruiting people to Syria, that Munaz had met Yameen before leaving for Syria and told him what had been done to Rilwan. The investigation also revealed that Munaz had left for Syria in 2017 with Yameen's help.

Munaz was reported dead while fighting in Syria, but no state agency has confirmed it, the commission said.