Kinbidhoo constituency MP and former police commissioner, Abdulla Riyaz has been sentenced to four months and 24 days in prison, over obstruction.

Obstructions charges were raised against the former police commissioner last year, for allegedly not allowing the police access to his mobile phone, when approached with a court order to do so.

A three-judge panel at the Criminal Court had, in July 2017, found Riyaz ‘not guilty’ of obstructing police officers over his refusal to unlock his mobile phone. The state appealed his acquittal at the High Court.

Despite being sentenced to four months and 24 days, Riyaz will not lose his seat in parliament as a sitting MP can only by stripped off his seat only is he is sentenced to over a year in prison.

He is currently under detention, after having been arrested in March under the state of emergency declared by incumbent President Abdulla Yameen, following a Supreme Court ruling which he described as ‘an attempted judicial coup’.

While terror charges have since been raised against Riyaz, Criminal Court has ordered to keep him until the trial into the charges conclude, and a verdict is issued.