Police have obstructed Joint Opposition members from meeting with acting police commissioner Abdulla Nawaz at the police headquarters on Tuesday.

Those who had gone to the police headquarters were Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) chairperson Hassan Latheef and its vice president Mohamed Shifaz, Jumhoree Party (JP)’s parliamentary group member Ali Hussain, and Adhaalath Party (AP)’s vice president Ali Zahir.

The opposition members were stopped by officers at the headquarters and told that police complaints on Tuesday were to be filed at the Galolhu police station.

AP’s deputy Zahir said that the Special Operations (SO) officers who stopped them at different locations were unable to articulate the reason behind obstructing them and kept asking if they were trying to file a complaint.

The opposition members went to the police headquarters to request the acting police commissioner to implement the Supreme Court order on February 1 to release nine political prisoners and reinstate 12 opposition MPs.

MDP’s chairperson Hassan Latheef said that if commissioner Nawaz wants to implement the Supreme Court order, he should give the order to the officers who also wish to see it implemented.

He also said that they did not schedule an appointment beforehand for fear that President Abdulla Yameen might arrest Nawaz. Former police commissioner Ahmed Areef was arrested and dismissed on February 2 for trying to implement the court order.