Boy Scout intervenes to foil knife attack on president

Published on Tuesday 8 January 2008 21:17

A WOGGLE-WEARING Boy Scout intervened to save Maldives president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom from being stabbed with a kitchen knife yesterday.

Mohamed Jaisham, 15,who was dressed in his Scout uniform, foiled the assassination attempt, by wrestling with the attacker.

The boy's hand was badly wounded, as he grabbed the blade.

"I have been saved thanks to Mohamed Jaisham and Allah," said Gayoom,

who holds the honorary title of Chief Scout of the Maldives.

The attack took place on the island of Hoarafushi, as Gayoom met supporters after the inauguration of a renewable energy project.

"He was shaking hands with supporters, when a young man came and tried to stab him with a large kitchen knife," said Mohamed Shareef, presidential spokesman.

"He was saved by a boy who moved in the way and tried to grab the knife and suffered a serious injury to his hand," he added.

"The President was not hurt, but the knife did catch his shirt. It was definitely an assassination attempt."

The attacker, aged in his early 20s, has been arrested and residents on the island describe him as having extreme religious views.

Gayoom, president since 1978, is Asia's longest-serving ruler, but political opponents describe the 71-year-old as a dictator, saying he rules like a sultan of old.