Authorities have confiscated the passport of Ahmed Faris Maumoon, parliamentarian for Dhiggaru constituency.

A close acquaintance of the lawmaker told RaajjeMV that they only learnt that his passport had been withheld after he had checked-in at the airport on Sunday.

RaajjeMV understands that Faris was to travel to India today; his father former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is currently in India.

President Maumoon has been involved in a dispute with his half-brother, President Abdulla Yameen since June 2016, withdrawing support for the government in October. He joined the opposition coalition in March 2017, and Faris has been seen in the frontlines in their reform work.

Since Faris started raising his voice against the government, he has been summoned to the police headquarters numerous times, as well as to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). He has been accused of attempting to bribe and sway voters.

RaajjeMV was unable to obtain a comment from the Department of Immigration, as the media official failed to answer our calls.