Former Police Commissioners have responded after the Home Minister, Imran Abdulla stated that the Abdulla Luthufee (Haajaraage), who led the coup invasion on Maldives on 3 Noveber 1988, was not extradited during the Yameen Administration because then Home Minister, Umaru Naseer did not approve it.

Speaking at the parliament inquiry about the status of the Luthufee extradition, Home Minister Imran said that in 2014 during the Presidency of Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, Maldives Police Service had located Luthufee and was in the final stages of the extradition, waiting for the approval from the Home Minister.

In response, former Commissioner of Police and the current MP for Thimarafushi constituency, Abdulla Riyaz took to Twitter stating that the Police does not need permission from the Home Minister to find a man on the run and it is the duty of the police to follow the Constitution.

On a Facebook post, the former Police Commissioner, Hussain Waheed said that former President Yameen and the Home Minister Umaru Naseer gave a special attention to finding Luthufee. He said that there are documents that would serve as evidence to that fact including a state visit to Sri Lanka by President Yameen where information on Luthufee was shared.

In an interview with Avas news, the former Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Areef accused the Home Minister of lying. Areef, who also served as Head of Police Intelligence, said that Home Minister Imran’s remarks at the parliament had no basis and it is said that he made those remarks on the orders of whoever it was.

Former Home Minster, Umaru Naseer said that he is the Minister who worked the hardest to extradite Luthufee back to the Maldives.