Amidst criticism over the authorization of a high-risk recovery operation that claimed the life of a soldier—conducted without proper training or resources—the government said yesterday that it played no role in the execution or approval of the mission, nor was it informed of any lack of capability within the military.
The recovery operation was launched by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) to retrieve the bodies of four Italian tourists trapped inside an underwater cave in Vaavu Atoll. On the second day of the mission, Staff Sergeant Mohamed Mahdhee, a lead diver involved in the operation, passed away.
Responding to journalists during the "Press with Spox" session, Chief Government Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef (Mundhu) said that while the President serves as the Commander-in-Chief, the government does not interfere in the operational decisions of the military.
"Some may be under the impression that the government issues operational directives or commands to uniformed bodies like the MNDF; however, that is not how these matters are conducted," Shareef said.
Following Mahdhee’s death, some people alleged that the government had forced the military command to proceed with the operation despite a lack of specialized capability. Shareef denied these claims, reiterating that neither President Mohamed Muizzu, nor any cabinet minister or political figure, has a role in the MNDF’s operational decision-making.
Shareef further noted that during a briefing provided to Muizzu by the Coast Guard, there was no mention of a lack of capability to carry out the mission. Recalling his presence at the briefing, Shareef stated that while the operation was described as "risky," no other concerns were raised.
"At no point was it suggested that their capacity was insufficient or that they were being tasked with something beyond their reach," he added.
In response to these remarks, a journalist pointed out that MNDF Commandant Mohamed Saleem had said in a televised interview that the military lacked the capability for such deep-sea diving. Shareef countered by saying those comments were made only after the initial briefing was given to Muizzu.
According to Shareef, the briefing provided to Muizzu focused on the details of the dive conducted by the military earlier that morning.
"Had they mentioned a capacity issue, an additional risk, or a need for specific resources, the government would have obviously and happily facilitated that," he said.
Shareef also addressed questions regarding why the operation proceeded despite offers of foreign assistance and why it was not suspended once international experts became available. He explained that the military had already commenced the recovery efforts by the time the Italian government and Divers Alert Network (DAN) Europe offered their support.
The government shared information regarding foreign assistance with the military only after the briefing with Muizzu. Shareef noted that Foreign Minister Iruthisham communicated the Italian government's offer of technical aid following the session. He stated that once the military consented, the government immediately responded to the Italian authorities.
Regarding the MNDF's role in the recovery, Shareef urged the public not to "belittle" the military's efforts. He claimed that the successful recovery by DAN divers was built upon the groundwork laid by the military divers.
The MNDF suspended its recovery efforts following Mahdhee’s death, deciding not to dive deeper than 30 meters. The operation was later spearheaded by a team of expert technical divers from Finland, dispatched to the Maldives by DAN.
The Finnish team located the Italian tourists during their very first dive into the cave. The four bodies were retrieved over two days, two at a time, and have since been repatriated to Italy.
