Hearings on MPs Waheed, Saud concluded; sentencing next

The hearings of the cases against Thulusdhoo Constituency MP Mohamed Waheed Ibrahim and Vilingili Constituency MP Saud Hussain has concluded.

The cases were filed in Supreme Court by the two MPs over the Elections Commission (EC) decision to strip the MPs from their Parliament seats.

On Sunday’s hearings, the Court heard statements from both sides.

In concluding the trial, Chief Justice Abdullah Saeed announced that in the next hearings, the Court will deliver a verdict. However, he did not specify a date for the sentencing.

Hisaan Hussain, lawyer for MP Waheed, made the argument that EC had stripped the MPs from their seats and announced bi-elections on biased grounds and had abused the Supreme Court ruling on floor crossing.

Hisaan also noted that Supreme Court was the final authority on status of MPs and their seats, as per clause 74 of the Constitution. She said in the event one of the three stipulations in the clause had occurred, then the Commission must send it to Supreme Court. As such, she argued that EC had no grounds to declare his seat void.

Ali Shah, lawyer for MP Saud, also argued on the same points, stating that ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives had no good intentions.

He said that MP Saud was removed from the Party on April 13th, removed him from the slot in the National Security Committee and the Party viber group. Shah further noted that it was not possible for Saud to be dismissed from the Party twice, without having had registered again.

Prosecution had argued that until their dismissal from the Party on July 18th, they were still members from the Party and therefore, the Supreme Court ruling was applicable to them.