Will keep on working for constituents’ rights, even if jailed: MP Faris Maumoon

Dhiggaru Constituency MP Ahmed Faris Maumoon says that he will remain steadfast in serving his Constituents and upholding their rights, even though he was presently in jail.

In a statement released to mark 150 days in detention, MP Faris, nephew to incumbent President Abdullah Yameen, said that he had been barred from serving and representing his Constituents in the Parliament since his arrest on trumped up charges of bribery. His statement especially noted that his Constituents was deprived from their input into the 2018 state budgets.

The statement quoted clause 26 (c) of the Constitution which states that citizens had the right to conduct their affairs by themselves or an elected representative. By jailing the representative for Dhiggaru Constituency, the statement noted that the state had stripped the Constituents from representing their views on a national level, revoked their rights and had prevented them from meeting their representative.

MP Faris further noted that his pleas to various authorities to allow him to fulfill his mandate was denied by the said authorities. The very authorities, while tasked with a strict mandate, had failed, he said.

In concluding his statement, MP Faris gave his personal assurance he will continue to serve his Constituents, in spite of his illegal detention. He also thanked his Constituents and well-wishers for their strong support extended to him, while he was in detention.

MP Faris was detained on bribery charges on July 18th. The charges, along with identity theft charges, were raised on the Parliamentarian afterward and the cases are currently on trial.