Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has stated it is prepared to fully cooperate with the parliamentary inquiry into the May 6 terror attack as an institution, rather than subjecting individual officers to the inquiry.
In a statement published following the launch of an inquiry by the Parliamentary Committee on National Security Services regarding the security breaches during the May 6 attack which severely injured Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed, MNDF detailed the due process followed in providing information to the parliament on military duties and responsibilities, as per the Armed Forces Act. As such, MNDF noted the Minister of Defence is responsible for answering to the president or the parliament, while the Chief of Defence Force is answerable to the Minister of Defence. MNDF stated individual officers of MNDF are answerable to the Chief of Defence Force, adding any inquiry conducted in relation to the actions of an individual officer will be answered by MNDF as an institution.
MNDF further stated the Armed Forces Act prohibits military officers to share any information obtained in their line of work with anyone except those permitted by the law. MNDF also stated subjecting individual officers to an inquiry conflicts with the military hierarchy and the chain of command.
MNDF stated it is fully prepared to cooperate with the inquiry into the May 6 terror attack as an institution. However, MNDF said subjecting any individual officer to a parliamentary inquiry would be against the law.
Speaker Nasheed required several life-saving surgeries on the injuries sustained when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was detonated near his residence in Male’ on May 6. Four people have been arrested in relation to the attack.