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for weapons a cover for media bashing: News agency Following the raid on the office at Pitakotte the office has been relocated to the United Kingdom. The raid was triggered by a report made by Maldivian Police Chief Adam Zahir to the Sri Lankan Interpol Unit, that the news agency was storing smuggled arms meant to overthrow President Abdul Gayoom’s regime. According to a spokesperson for Minivan News (who was present at the time of the raid) 10 Sri Lankan CID Interpol officers had entered the premises at Pita Kotte on December 28. The officers had explained that they had received a notice from the Maldivian Interpol Unit that the Minivan News Agency was storing weapons smuggled by an Italian pilot named Almanda Paes. Thereafter, they had shown the written complaint from the Maldivian Government and wanted to search the entire premises. They had also inspected the agency’s computers, to check the charge that the agency was illegally transmitting news from the country. However, the raid revealed that both charges were unfounded but the officers had explained they had no choice but to investigate given the gravity of the charges. “This is just one instance in a rising trend of the Maldivian Government using Interpol to prosecute independent journalists and suppress freedom of speech,” the news agency spokesman said. |
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