18 February 2018
Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has been questioned by the police over concealing of evidence. Hen is alleged to have bribed the judges to overthrow the government. Maumoon has accused the police of conducting an illegal investigation. He has been held in Dhoonidhoo and Maafushi prisons. His lawyer Hameed said, “President Maumoon gave a straight answer (to the police) : Your treatment has been unconstitutional and illegal from the start. Afraid of the law, so you hide it, afraid of rights, so you bury it, and after giving threats that implies torture, you can’t say that this investigation is legal. Reported Raaije.mv.
His lawyer said that, Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed has been accused of concealing evidence, after police fail to find any. Chief Justice Saeed is being investigated over allegations of obstruction of official duties, accepting bribes, influencing court rulings, and attempting to overthrow the government.
The protests started in front the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) main campaign office on Saturday at 9pm. When police officers tried to disperse the crowd, protesters moved to the streets at around 11:30pm. Kendhoo constituency MP Ali Hussain, was arrested and then released later. Ahmed Mahloof, a legislator from Maldives Democratic Party (MDP), told Reuters 25 people, including two journalists, had been detained. The police did not give any information on the arrests and where the arrested people are being held.
A letter, signed by the four opposition leaders, was taken to the Indian embassy by Anas Abdul Sattar, the secretary-general of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), and Ahmed Sameer, the secretary-general of the Jumhoree Party (JP).
Maldives will seek help from other countries to investigate judges suspected of taking bribes and dragging the island nation into political crisis, a senior Maldives diplomat told Reuters in an interview.
