Member of Parliament for Kinbidhoo constituency Abdulla Riyaz has contributed to privately-run television station RaajjeTV’s ‘Aburufulhu fund’ following the MVR two million fine imposed on it by the Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC).

Making the contribution on his behalf, Riyaz’s brother Ahmed Riyaz said that all news channels across the country are important to the Maldivian citizens, especially RaajjeTV, the most watched news channel in the country.

Riyaz told the station that the Broadcom having unjustly penalized RaajjeTV is not acceptable, going on to condemn the MBC’s MVR two million fine, the biggest allowed under the defamation bill, against the station.

RaajjeTV was fined by an exorbitant MVR two million (USD 130,000) last Wednesday for broadcasting a live interview which the government-controlled MBC alleged to contain content that defames incumbent President Abdulla Yameen. Following this, the station had re-opened it’s ‘Aburufulhu fund’ box on the 10th of August. The fund opening was inaugurated by opposition coalition’s Presidential candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in front of the station’s office.