The Maldives Police Service has recorded a statement from former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom regarding allegations he made concerning a fire that broke out at a building housing three government ministries.
In a press statement released today, the police revealed that when officers visited Yameen’s residence yesterday to serve a summons for him to appear at headquarters, he refused to accept the notice. However, the police noted that he provided a written statement addressing his allegations.
"In the document, he stated that he possesses no further information regarding the matter and therefore asserted there was no purpose for him to present himself at the police station," the statement read.
The police sought to question Yameen following a request from the Minister of Homeland Security and Technology, Ali Ihusaan, to investigate claims made by the former president during a People’s National Front (PNF) rally on September 5.
During that rally, Yameen alleged that the fire at the ministerial complex was an act of arson. He further claimed that the police were aware that the individual responsible for the incident was a close associate of President Mohamed Muizzu.
The fire, which occurred in December 2024, completely gutted the building housing the Ministry of Housing, the Ministry of Construction, and the Ministry of Environment, resulting in the destruction of critical documents and servers.
In their statement, the police clarified that the fire at the three ministries was caused by an electrical short circuit. They further noted that the investigation found no evidence to support criminal charges against any individual.
The police also appealed to the public to refrain from making unsubstantiated claims regarding the institution.
This marks the first time the police have officially commented on the findings of the investigation into the fire. For nearly two years, both the police and the government had faced criticism for failing to disclose information regarding the incident.
The police had initially sought public assistance for the investigation on December 17, 2024. On December 20, 2024, they announced that a team of Indian experts was providing technical assistance for the probe.
The Indian forensic team departed the Maldives on December 22, 2024, after conducting a two-day assessment. While the police confirmed their departure on December 27 of last year, they did not disclose the reasons for the team’s brief stay at the time.
The police had previously scheduled a press conference for June 24 to brief the media on the fire investigation. However, the briefing was cancelled at the last minute without explanation.
