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Sunday 04 May 2025
LOCAL EDITION
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LOCAL EDITION
Dr. Mohamed Munawwar (C), president of the presidential commission for inquiry into Mariyam Yumnu's fall, speaks to reporters on April 30, 2025. (Photo/President's Office)
Members of the Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry established to probe the case of a young woman found injured on the rooftop of a building in Male’ are set to receive a monthly allowance between MVR 5,000 and MVR 15,000.
21-year-old Mariyam Yumnu was found injured on the rooftop of a warehouse in the Henveiru district at around 07:30 am on April 18.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu set up the Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry on April 27th, tasking it to conduct an independent and credible investigation into the incident.
The Commission comprises of five members:
President Muizzu, responding to a question by a journalist during the 14-hour-long press conference on Saturday, said each member of the Commission will be entitled to an allowance.
In this regard, he detailed that the doctor and the other healthcare professional on the Commission will receive a monthly allowance of MVR 5,000, as they are already employed full-time and drawing salaries from those roles. The other Commission members, who are not currently employed elsewhere, will be given a monthly allowance of MVR 15,000.
The Commission first comprised of three male members: Munavvar, Ahmed Mohamed and Dr. Mohamed Habeeb.
The lack of women in an inquiry into a sensitive case involving a young female victim has sparked criticism.
Moreover, Habeeb resigned from the Commission just a day after it was incepted. While Habeeb declined to comment on his decision when Sun reached out, Sun has learned that Habeeb, a native of Addu City’s Hithadhoo district, is third cousins with the mother of the prime person of interest in the case—Raudh Ahmed Zilal, who had been with Yumnu moments before her fall.
But it is unclear if this is the reason for his resignation.
The President subsequently changed the composition of the Commission, making three new appointments – two of them female.
The Commission established under a presidential decree has been granted extensive powers and privileges and will remain operational until the President declares that its mandate has been fulfilled.
According to the police, their investigation uncovered that Yumnu fell from a skylight on the ninth-floor stairwell of the adjacent building, H. Fentenoy, but that there was no evidence of foul play.
But before her fall, she had been part of a group of at least nine individuals who were at Ma. Maandhooge Dhekunuge- for a party, where they are believed to have possibly consumed drugs and alcohol.
The case of Yumnu, who spent nearly three hours on the rooftop of a warehouse before a neighbor saw her and alerted the authorities, has sparked serial protests in Male’ after it became known that the individuals involved have family links to influential figures, including a cabinet minister and a diplomat.
The police had initially refused to name anyone else except for Yumnu. It wasn’t until six days later – on April 24 – that the police finally named eight people who had been with Yumnu in the party as persons of interest. Raudh Ahmed Zilal, 21; Izdhiyaan Mohamed Maumoon, 28; Aishath Layaaly Iqbal, 22; Yoosuf Ahmed Akram, 22; Yoosuf Yassar Abdul Ghafoor, 28; Aminath Junaina Jamsheed, 24; Hussain Hamees Ali, 28; and Ijaz Jaiz, 24.
Meanwhile, the house where the group held the “party” was confirmed as the family residence of Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen, who admitted that two of his nephews were among the group of individuals involved, but denied he knew anything about what he described as the “gathering.”
The police have said that both Yumnu and Raudh were heavily intoxicated at the time, and had both tested positive for narcotics. Clips of CCTV footage shared by police show Yumnu appeared to have trouble walking, and even fell down on the ground at one point.
Raudh has been arrested for not cooperating with the investigation. He was initially remanded in custody for five days, which was later extended by 10 days.
