I spoke with the brother of Shaheed Mahdhy. Two urgent issues stand out:
1. Death certificate
As per family, Shaheed Mahdhy's death certificate states that he was "rescued." This is inaccurate because he had already died by the time his body was brought out of the cave.
The family have repeatedly requested that the certificate be corrected, but months later it still has not been amended.
This delay is creating serious legal and administrative problems. One Maldivian bank is ( I may name the bank later ) preparing legal action over overdue loan repayments, but the family is unable to settle civil procedures without death certificate.
2. Dive computer & investigation:
Shaheed Mahdhy was wearing a Garmin MK3i dive computer linked to his iPhone. The family says the device contains detailed dive data, including heart-rate information that could help establish the timeline of events and exact time of death.
According to the family, MNDF requested the phone password. Mahdhy's brother agreed to provide it, but asked that the dive log be downloaded in the presence of the family. The investigators refused.
The watch is now with the Police. Months have passed, and the family says no one has contacted them for the password. If l
Questions journalists should ask:
1. Why does the death certificate state that Shaheed Mahdhy was "rescued" if he had already died before being brought out of the cave?
2. Why has the family's request to correct the death certificate not been acted upon?
3. Why was the family's request to be present when the Garmin dive log was downloaded refused ?
When I first raised questions about this case because of the inconsistencies and unanswered issues, I was accused of politicizing someone's death.
Months later, Mahdhee's brother is still searching for justice. He is now appealing not only to the Maldivian public, but even to Italians, for help in uncovering the truth about his brother's death.
Think about that for a moment.
A man who died while serving his country. A man who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Yet today, it is his family that is left begging for answers and pleading for justice.
What kind of country allows the family of a fallen serviceman to be put in that position?
The government promoted him, presented awards, and held a grand ceremony in his honor. Yet they continue to withhold key information. Now we learn they haven't even corrected his death certificate.
What was all the fanfare for? To create the appearance of caring?
As I wrote before:
"Honoring him with words alone will not do justice to his sacrifice. The most important thing now is to thoroughly investigate what led to this tragedy, learn every possible lesson from it, and ensure it never happens again. We cannot afford to lose another life the same way."
Months later his family is still fighting for the truth.