MP Areef’s passport confiscated once again
First confiscated on August 2nd
MP Areef with fellow Parliamentarian Didi
Authorities have once again confiscated the passport of Nolhivaram Constituency MP Hussain Areef.
His passport was first confiscated after he had allegedly attacked officers of Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) in Parliament protecting Speaker Abdullah Maseeh on July 31st.
Then his passport was confiscated from August 2nd to September 1st, under a court order.
The court order issued by Judge Ali Adam on Monday, states that Police had listed the Parliamentarian as a flight risk but had not forwarded the case for prosecution.
Witness statements and snapshots of video footage had been sent in as evidence on the Parliamentarian.
MP Areef denied the rumors that he had planned to flee, stating that he intended to remain in the country until his last day. He expressed his remorse that Police had made false claims on him.
‘I want to take my ID card, return it back to ID card unit. Return passport to Immigration. I don’t want to flee. I want to remain in this nation to my last day,’ he said.
MNDF had filed a case with Maldives Police Service (MPS) to investigate the events in Parliament on 31st July. Defense Minister Adam Shareef Umar had met the officers attached to Parliament security and informed them they will have to give their statements. Additionally, he said lawyers will be provided by MNDF for their use.
MP Areef is one of the 11 MPs on trial for having obstructed an officer of law. The trials of the case had already begun.
