WikiLeaks: A Maldivian Residing In Colombo Arrested For Male’s Bomb Blast

April 21, 2013 

“A blast in Male’s Sultan Park on the afternoon of September 29 wounded 12 foreign tourists. Foreign Minister Shahid told Ambassador the same day that the Government of Maldives (GORM) was shocked by the incident and does not know who was responsible. Eleven arrests have so far been made in connection with the incident. The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has said that the blast showed the ‘Government has failed to tackle crime’ and ‘is tolerating extremism.’ Post has issued a warden message saying there is no need to cancel travel plans to resorts, but suggesting tourists refrain from nonessential trips to the capital for now. Regional LEGAT and A/LAT from New Delhi traveled over the weekend to Male’ to provide investigative support to the Maldivian Police, and two additional FBI agents will join them this week. The Embassy issued a public statement on October 1 condemning the bombing.” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.

The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database. The cable discusses the bomb blast on September 29, 2007, in Sultan Park near the Islamic Centre in the Maldivian capital Malé. The cable is classified as “Secret” and written on October 7, 2007. The cable is signed by the US Ambassador to Colombo Robert O. Blake.

The ambassador wrote; “Eleven arrests have been made in connection with the incident. A police spokesman told Minivan news that all arrests were based on forensic evidence. The Australian High Commission in Colombo told Pol Chief that on September 30 a Maldivian regularly residing in Colombo had been arrested in connection with the incident while attempting to leave Maldives. Embassy later learned that the individual had actually left Maldives, but was detained on arrival at the Colombo airport at the request of Maldivian officials and returned to Male’.”

Under the subtitle the ambassador wrote; “Foreign Minister Shahid told Ambassador on September 29 that the Government of Maldives (GORM) was shocked by the incident and does not know who is responsible. President Gayoom on Sunday said publicly that groups calling for the boycott of Maldives resorts must ‘share some responsibility’ for the incident. He did not name, but was clearly referring to, the UK-based group Friends of Maldives which has encouraged tourists to boycott those resorts that are owned by members of the Government. Ruling party spokesman Ibrahim Shafiu told the website Minivan News that ‘in a situation like this, you think about who your enemies are… unless proved otherwise by the investigative authorities, we will be unable to believe they are not involved in this.’ One unnamed government official speculated in the local press that the attack, which occurred during Ramadan, could have been conducted ‘by jihadists on our tourism industry.’”

“In response to requests from President Gayoom and local law enforcement officials, LEGAT and A/LAT arrived in Male’ on September 30 and October 1 from New Delhi to provide investigative support to the Maldivian Police. Two FBI agents from the Los Angeles Field Office of the Extraterritorial Investigations Unit will arrive in Male on October 3 to provide additional assistance. The presence of the team from Los Angeles will not be publicized. The Foreign Minister thanked the Ambassador for the USG’s quick and helpful response. In a phone consultation with RSO, LEGAT noted that training on crime scene investigations provided earlier to Maldivian law enforcement authorities under ATA and other programs appeared to have paid rich dividends. Maldives police had immediately moved to secure and cordon off the blast site, preserving important evidence and collecting relevant material in evidence bags. They also immediately called for assistance. This is far above the standard normally encountered in South Asia in handling crime scenes and should greatly assist FBI and other agencies in evaluating what happened in Male’.” the ambassador further wrote.

Read the cable below for further details;