Charges filed against three for obstructing law enforcement during taxi drivers’ protest

Charges have been forwarded to the Prosecutor General's Office on Thursday against three individuals for allegedly obstructing law enforcement officers during a protest staged by a large number of taxi drivers last December.

The protest was held at Hulhumalé Ruhgandu Park 1 against the government.

It was conducted under the slogan “you will have to cut off our heads; we will not bow down.”

The three individuals charged and sent to the PG Office for obstructing police duties are Mohamed Shamin, 39 of M. Viraahu, Misbaah Shareef, 31 of M. Naheedhi Manzil and Nooman Ahmed, 36 of Holiday Village in Kumundhoo island of Haa Dhaal atoll. All three face the same charge.

The charge against all three individuals has been filed under Law No. 9/2014; Maldives Penal Code, Article 533 (a)(1) and (2)(11), with reference to subsection (c), for obstructing other state functions.

As charges were forwarded against three individuals in connection with the taxi drivers' protest, President of the Drivers Association Ibrahim Niyaz, has stated that the charge is not acceptable in any way and that it is a great injustice by the incumbent administration towards taxi drivers and their families.

Niyaz said that during the taxi drivers' protest, there was no obstruction to police duties whatsoever.

He added that the clearest evidence that there was no disobedience to police orders after the protest ended that night is that there were no confrontations between the police and the drivers.

He also mentioned that even the cars that were towed were driven to the location specified by the Maldives Police Service (MPS) after following police orders.

The Drivers Association's statement says it is certain that the government has caused great harm to the drivers and their families in this matter.