Shumba’s crime

Maldivian social media activist arrested in Sri Lanka as a suspect in connection with the alledged assassination bid on President Abdulla Yameen, now charged with simply threatening a Council member.

by Rukshana Rizwie

Shumba and two other supects being taken away (twitter)

Unidentified injured people are evacuated after a blast on the Maldives President Yameen Abdul Gayoom speedboat in Male, Maldives Monday, Sept. 28, 2015. Gayoom’s wife Fathimath Ibrahim and several officials suffered minor injuries. The country’s international airport is on a separate island and a short boat trip is needed to reach the capital island. (Yoosuf SofwanSun Online via AP)

Ashraf Ahmed aka Shumba Gong

In a strange twist of fate, 24-year-old Ashraf Ahmed aka Shumba Gong, the Maldivian national who was arrested in Sri Lanka in November last year and subsequently deported, for his suspected link to the assassination attempt on Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom in September last year, will now be charged for threatening Ahmed Zahid, a Council member of the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives. The alleged threats had been made via phone calls and social media, his lawyer Nizam Sattar told the Sunday Observer.

Sattar in reply to a question regarding Ashraf’s twitter handle, responded with a photocopy of the judgment, which states that Ashraf will now be charged under the Threats, Assault Weapons and Sharp objects 2010 Act, a law which prescribes penalties up to 18 months in prison.

Previously it was stated he may be given a maximum jail sentence of one year with a fine, for violating Section 122 of the Penal Code for threatening and spreading false information. The offence is largely considered a misdemeanour and not felony, which is in stark contrast to the recent allegations against Ashraf who is one of eight suspects the Maldives Government had wanted over the blast in a speedboat in which the Maldivian President was travelling. So far he is reported to be the only person arrested. The other seven are close associates of the former Vice President Ahmed Adheeb, the prime suspect in the speedboat blast, now awaiting trial in Dhoonidhoo prison.

Active on social media

Copy of the document containing the charges filed against Shumba  (twitter)

For a social media personality arrested in connection with the assassination attempt, 24-year-old Ashraf Ahmed has an extremely active social media account.

Ironically, one of his re-tweets on his twitter handle @Shumbagong is of him being taken away on Thursday (4) with two other suspects who seem to be handcuffed.

Although the President escaped unhurt, First Lady Fathima Ibrahim and two other presidential aides were injured in the blast. Vice-President of the Maldives Adheeb was arrested in October over the blast.

Ashraf who calls himself a ‘die-hard fan’ of the former Vice President, was arrested on November 1 on a request by the Maldivian Government and subsequently detained by police and remanded at the Island of Dhoonidhoo in Kaafu Atoll. His case was taken up on January 11 and his detention extended by another two weeks.

Lawyer Sattar went on record saying his client, who he referred to as ‘Shumba’ was taken to courts on Monday, February 1, without the consent of his lawyers.

Enough evidence

“We have no new information with regard to the arrest of this suspect,” Ibrahim Hussain Shihab, International spokesperson for the President’s Office of the Maldives told the Sunday Observer on Friday. “All we can say at this point is that investigations are still on-going.”

Legal Affairs Minister at the President’s Office of the Maldives, Azima Shakoor, told the press in Colombo, where a high-level Maldives delegation was also present, the Sri Lankan national who was in custody, was given access to lawyers and regular consular visits were also permitted.

“There is enough evidence to keep him in custody and he is being regularly produced in court to extend his detention as well,” she said.

The arrest and subsequent detention of the alleged Sri Lankan ‘sniper’ has caused a diplomatic spat between Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

The Sri Lankan Government has categorically denied claims that the national was a ‘sniper’ as referred to by the Maldivian media.

The arrest of the Sri Lankan national raised a diplomatic spat with the Maldivian High Commission in Colombo.

It is alleged the High Commission had failed to inform the Sri Lankan authorities about the arrest.

“The Sri Lankan media should stop referring to this individual as a ‘sniper’ as there is no basis to such a conclusion,” an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

“Since discussions were on-going between the two countries regarding the matter, it is premature to say anything at this point,” he said.

Subsequent to the arrest and deportation of Ashraf, the Ministry in a statement stated it was concerned about recent developments in the Maldives and events that have impacted on Sri Lanka, including the arrest of two Sri Lankan nationals in the Maldives and the questionable removal of a Maldivian social media activist who was in the possession of a valid Sri Lankan visa.

“It is deeply disturbing, since Sri Lanka has always maintained close, friendly relations with the Maldives, is being used to initiate questionable action against political and social media activists,” it stated.

Ashraf was not in the SL military – MoD

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence in a statement issued immediately after the arrest said the person arrested was not from the Sri Lankan military. The Ministry of Defence in its statement, stated that investigations had revealed that the said individual had not served in the Sri Lankan military.