Court concludes hearing for Faris Maumoon's remand appeal
14 ނޮވެމްބަރު 2017 | އަންގާރަ 10:38MP Faris Maumoon refused to provide a concluding statement, claiming that the validity of the bench itself is questionable
MP Faris Maumoon attending a Criminal Court hearing earlier this year
High Court has concluded its hearing for MP Faris Maumoon's appeal of his remand on bribery allegations.
The patliamentarian's legal representatives said that he questions the validity of the the High Court bench, and therefore had not given his conclusive statement.
The adjudicators for Faris' appeal are Chief Judge Abdulla Didi, Judge Abdul Rauf Ibrahim, and Judge Shujau Usman.
Judge Ali Sameer had been the principal adjudicator in the case previously, and for the most part of the case. However, the bench was changed prior to this hearing, and Judge Sameer was replaced by Judge Usman.
They further said that the High Court bench has been extensiely made privy of Faris' stand on the Criminal Court decision, and therefore a concluding statement is unessecary.
The bench will then reconvene to pass a sentence on the appeal, although a date for this yet to be set.
On July 18th, Faris was arrested from his residence in capital city Malé on said bribery allegations.
At the remand hearing on the following day, the judge sentenced the parliamentarian to be remanded until the Criminal Court reaches a verdict on the allegations.
In addition to allegations of attempting to bribe parliamentarians ahead of a vote against parliament speaker Abdulla Maseeh, prosecutors are also seeking charges against Faris for identity fraud.
