Police silent on HDC director's status in Hulhumalé assault probe
A 21-year-old man was arrested in connection with the case and was later remanded in custody for five days.
The Maldives Police Service has declined to confirm whether Housing Development Corporation (HDC) Director Ismail Abdul Raheem Adam, commonly known as Isu, has been questioned or arrested in connection with an altercation that took place in Hulhumalé Phase 2 on Sunday night.
The incident occurred in the Farukolhufushi reclaimed area. Police have not disclosed the cause of the altercation.
A 21-year-old man was arrested in connection with the case and was later remanded in custody for five days.
Following the incident, videos circulated on social media appearing to show parts of the altercation. One video shows a man identified by social media users as Ismail approaching the person recording the footage.
Another video recorded from a distance appears to show two men involved in a physical confrontation. Social media users have also alleged that Ismail assaulted a woman seen in the footage.
When asked whether Ismail had been questioned or was being treated as a suspect, police did not provide a direct response.
"In the ongoing police investigation into this assault, we are questioning all individuals who need to be questioned and are thoroughly examining all aspects of the case," police said in a statement.
The response did not clarify whether Ismail has been questioned or whether he is under investigation as a suspect.
Police have confirmed only the arrest of the 21-year-old man accused of attacking Ismail. According to police, he was taken into custody after being discharged from hospital, where he had received treatment for injuries sustained during the incident.
Ismail was among those arrested in 2022 during the investigation into the abduction and murder of journalist Ahmed Rilwan and the murder of blogger Yameen Rasheed.
He was charged with aiding an act of terrorism, but the Criminal Court dismissed the charges in November 2023, citing insufficient evidence. Before the case was dismissed, he had been released from detention to house arrest under electronic monitoring.
Ismail was appointed to his position at HDC in January 2024.
