Maldives Police Services has denied altering the statement given by the victim of the alleged sexual assault aboard a safari marooned in the Hulhumale’ lagoon.
Its denial came after the victim’s lawyers leaked a contentious video clip which shows the investigating officers IOs mocking the lawyers and allegedly attempting to alter the victim’s statement.
The lawyers said that the video seemed to be sent unintentionally via Skype by the IO and that the lawyers have formally reported this gross misconduct to the Police, the Prosecutor General’s Office as well as the National Integrity Commission. The lawyers demanded immediate action and called on the commission of Police Mohamed Hameed to ensure justice.
In a statement today, Police said the leaked video clip was taken after the Investigating Officers conducted an interview with the victim via Skype and were in the process of drafting the victim’s statement.
Police said the leaked interaction was between the investigating officers and the victim’s lawyers had made it seem that the IOs were altering the victim’s statement.
Police said that it denies this rhetoric set by the victim’s lawyers.
It also said that it is common practice for IOs to draft the statements given by victims and that this does constitute them altering these statements. Police noted that such statements, once drafted are handed over to the individual who had given the statement as well as his/her lawyer and that they are free to make any changes to the drafted statement. Police added that the interviewee would sign and stamp their fingerprints once all parties are satisfied with the given statement.
The Law Enforcement Agency also said as most interviews are now being conducted online, the police are now providing soft copies of such statements to the interviewee and his/her lawyers to make the editing easier.
Police said that it is disconcerting to see lawyers of a victim in an active criminal investigation resorting to such measures as leaking a video that is also detrimental to their client without using the appropriate channels to share their concerns.
Police added that since the victim’s lawyers had said that they have reported the alleged misconduct to the National Integrity Commission, the Police would give its full cooperation to any subsequent investigation conducted by the commission.
Earlier this year two men were suspected of sexually assaulting a Kenyan national aboard a Safari marooned off Hulhumale’. The case caught the nation’s attention after the men arrested from the scene of the crime were released from police custody after police claimed a lack of evidence.
Several media reports have alleged that one of the perpetrators was a spouse of an MP belonging to the ruling MDP and that the administration of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had used its authority to stifle the investigation.
