Month-long travel ban imposed on MP Areef
Police Intelligence reports that MP Areef has plans to travel to Sri Lanka
MP for Nolhivaram constituency Hussain Areef
Authorities have withheld the passport of Nolhivaram constituency MP Hussain Areef.
MP Areef is accused of obstructing army officers during Monday's parliament sitting.
According to the court order approving the confiscation of his passport, Areef "is a flight risk". The order stated that a secret report by the Police Intelligence shows that Areef was planning to flee to Sri Lanka.
The order, which noted that him fleeing could hamper the investigation against him, stated that authorities have the power to withhold Areef's passport for a period of one month.
MP Areef via twitter said that he had no idea that he was planning to travel abroad.
While Maldives Police Service has also begun an investigation into some opposition parliamentarians regarding the events that took place on the parliament floor on July 31, an audio was leaked of Defence Minister Adam Shareef vowing to 'settle' the matter of the MPs.
The Minister had also stated that he would have resorted to physical violence, had he been at parliament that day.
Authorities have also imposed a month-long travel ban on Galolhu-South constituency MP Ahmed Mahloof, also alleging that the parliamentarian was planning to travel to Sri Lanka.
