Male/Panjab Post
Tensions escalated in the Maldives as two serving ministers were arrested under suspicion of conducting black magic rituals targeting President Mohamed Muizzu, according to local reports.
Shamnaz Saleem, formerly a state minister at the Environment Ministry, and her ex-husband Adam Rameez, who served as a minister at the President’s Office, along with two others, were apprehended by Maldives police. Details surrounding the alleged incident remain undisclosed, with authorities declining to provide specific information on the motives or nature of the purported black magic.
Local media outlet Sun.mv reported that Shamnaz Saleem and the other individuals arrested were remanded in custody for seven days following their detention on Sunday. Shamnaz was subsequently suspended from her position at the Environment Ministry, while Rameez faced suspension from his role at the President’s Office on Thursday.
Both Shamnaz and Rameez had previously worked alongside President Muizzu during their tenure at the Male City Council. Shamnaz initially served as a state minister at Muliaage, the presidential residence, before later transitioning to the Environment Ministry after Muizzu assumed office as President in November last year.
The arrests have sparked widespread intrigue and concern in the Maldives, with neither the government nor the President’s office issuing an official statement on the unfolding situation. The incident underscores deep-seated political tensions and uncertainties within the island nation.
As the investigation progresses, the Maldives remains at the center of international attention, grappling with allegations that threaten to destabilize its political landscape.