Gangs joined protest near Majilis last month, CP confirms
Saleem, who belongs to the MDP, pointedly asked the commissioner to confirm the matter by only saying yes or no.
By
Shahudha Mohamed
Police Commissioner (CP) Ali Shujau has said that gang members were involved in the protest led by senior government official as well as ruling party supporters near the Parliament on 28th last month over the decision not to approve some government ministers.
The protesters in front of the parliament that day climbed the wall of the parliament and threw objects into the premises. Defence Minister Ghassan Maumoon and Police Commissioner Ali Shujau were summoned to the Parliament's Committee on Security Services (241 Committee) for questioning on Wednesday.
“The commissioner’s written replies, and what you have just told us, indicate that among the people gathered in this area, the commissioner has included that current ministers, state ministers and even gang members were among the protesters,” noted Deputy Speaker of Parliament MP Ahmed Saleem.
Saleem, who belongs to the MDP, repeatedly asked the commissioner to confirm the matter by only saying yes or no. When the commissioner began to elaborate the answer to the question, Saleem repeatedly asked him to just say yes or no.
The commissioner then replied, "Yes”.
“I have a timeline of it and since the people [here] want to know, I will add a little bit,” Saleem repeated that he did not wish to hear any details, but the commissioner continued with the committee chair's permission.
"Our Special Operations Department police began working to disperse the gang members the moment they started gathering there”.
Shujau said gang members were not among those who gathered peacefully in front of the parliament first.
“However, when they came later, we increased our forces and worked harder to maintain peace,” the CP said.
In the question posed by MDP’s Thulhaadhoo MP Hisaan Hussain, she said the commissioner's reply indicated that the ruling party members might have left the area as soon as the gang members arrived. She also asked the commissioner to clarify:
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What time did the current government’s ministers, deputy ministers, coordinators and other government political positions arrive at the parliament?
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What time did their social media accounts call for people to gather here?
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How long after did the gang members come to the parliament?
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How long after the gangs arrived did the government ministerial level and other politicians left?
"He has said very firmly that the two people did not mix here. But the scenes we saw with our own eyes were like not what you said," Hisaan said, adding that it was the same on social media, the pictures and videos that had been posted on that protest.
In response to the question, the Commissioner said:
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There is no information available to confirm whether the gathering was coordinated by government officials and gang members
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However, he tried to make the area safe by sending more teams from the point where he noted there was a chance of unrest
Hinnavaru MP Jeehan Mahmood said the information shared by the police through the letter and the statements made in the committee indicated that there was a link between the return of senior government officials from the protest ground and the movement of gangs into the area.
"Because of this timeline, there are a lot of questions about whether the government had anything to do with the people who came to protest [the gangs]. Because when one group of people came, the others had to leave," she said.
Asked whether the police were investigating the link, Shujau said there was no such link. Shujau added:
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The police take care of the safety and security of the place in such a circumstance
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It is up to the demonstrators whether they come or go from a protest
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It is not clear enough to say whether the gathering of members or the general public was ordered by anyone or messages were conveyed to gather for a certain group
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ަThe police were not trying to investigate the protesters; the police worked to maintain peace amidst a protest, and to do what needed to be done in the event of any unrest
Police have allowed people to gather peacefully in front of some parliaments in the past, although the opportunity is no longer granted under the Assembly Act, but after the protests that had recently gone down in front of the parliament, the police will no longer allow it, CP Shujau said on Wednesday.
He said the law would be enforced to the letter in the future. Therefore, only the Carnival area can be allowed for such gatherings without police permission.
