MP Faris appeals prison conviction
The MP was sentenced on the 27th of June
MP for Dhiggaru Constituency, Faris Maumoon
Dhiggaru MP Faris Maumoon has appealed the Criminal Court's prison conviction of four months and 24 days over identity fraud.
According to the lawmaker’s defense attorneys, the appeal was filed on Wednesday.
On June 27, presiding Judge Ibrahim Ali found the lawmaker guilty of identity fraud for the unauthorized use of the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) flag and logo at a joint party press conference held on the 22nd of March 2017 by the opposition coalition and the faction of ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) loyal to former President and Faris' father, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
Faris had been under police custody for the remainder of the ongoing terrorism trial against him when he had been sentenced over identity fraud charges.
The State had in the court proceeding brought forth three state witnesses to testify against Faris, a letter from the Elections Commission proving his dismissal from the ruling party along with a recording of the press conference in which Faris had supposedly represented himself as a member of the ruling party.
Faris had given names of 47 witnesses and 27 documentary evidence in the court proceeding out of which the court had only taken the testimonies from 6 witnesses.
Judge Ali had in the court proceeding said that it is evident from the Elections Commission’s letter that the lawmaker had been dismissed from the party, going on to say that no appeals had been made at the party committee to look into his dismissal. The presiding judge had also said that opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s Parliamentary Group leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih who had partaken in the conference as well, had announced that Faris would be representing the ruling party in the conference.
Pending trials against him include bribery for allegedly offering bribes to a fellow parliamentarian who has since testified in court in Faris’s defense, saying that he had not received bribes from Faris, following which hearings in the case had been halted. Faris is also ontrial over terrorism-related charges for allegedly conspiring to overthrow the government.
