Ali Rasheed Maldives: Adios Amigo

I know not what the morrow will bring nor do I know what surprises fate holds in store for me. Yet I feel its time to say sayonara for in all likelihood I will end up in jail - at least for a while.

For those of you who have been following my story let me bring you up to date.

You may recall that I have been making a nuisance of myself at the Police Headquarters almost on a daily basis. I have been requesting for that one document that by all rights ought to have been given into my hands upon my arrest on June 5, 2007. The document that advised me of the reason for my arrest.

Today ( November 19, 2007 ) I had the pleasure of meeting a gentleman by the name of Mumtaz - rank unknown - who was ostensibly in charge of the investigation of my case.

When I explained the need for the document he had one question for me.

"Weren't you given the document earlier?"

"No, I wasn't. I don't necessarily want the original - a copy will be just fine."

"I was in charge of the investigation of your case but until now we've never met. Another chap was dealing with everything and he's currently abroad and even though I've looked for the document that you ask for, it's not to be found anywhere," said Mumtaz.

"Surely there must be a copy of the document on the computer hard disk."

"Yeah, it's possible - the only problem is he (meaning the chap who dealt directly with me) is abroad and there's no way of getting into his files until he's back."

This was beginning to get interesting. The legal officer at the Police Headquarters with whom I had been dealing with during the last week, Jina, had all along insisted that the particular document was not something released to the general public. And now here was another policeman telling me the exact opposite of what Jina had told me. The common factor: I was not going to get that particular piece of paper from the Police Headquarters. It would expose the police and whatever game they had been playing with me all along.

"Fine," I said. "Could you at least explain your position in writing? That bit of paper is evidence I need to present in my defense at the High Court. Time is running and I need to file my appeal as soon as possible."

We parted on the amicable note that he'd consult his superiors and let me have a written reply.

You may recall the response given to me by the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives to my request to intercede on my behalf to obtain this very same document.

Allow me to refresh your memory. 'The police are unwilling to release the document and there's nothing the Commission can do to help.'

I believe I've wasted enough time in seeking something that I'm not going to get. I very much doubt that even a court order would get the police to comply.

I have time till December 9, 2007 to file my appeal. Any number of things could happen in between so I may as well get around to get the case report given to me by the lower court stamped by the Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services. This would mean that the government and by extension the Penitentiary Department will finally have to acknowledge I am currently under a 25 year sentence. It would be up to the government to decide whether to jail me or keep me hanging loose until the High Court reaches a decision.

The documents I have in hand are enough to prove perjury on the part of the police. When it's time to produce the evidence, God willing, I will have it published for the readers to verify the truth of my story.

I am psychologically prepared to spend the next six months in solitary confinement if necessary. We'll wait and see what happens next. Until then adios - my friends...