Leader of the divided ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has criticized the Maldives Police Service (MPS).
In a tweet sent out on Thursday night, Maumoon said that “resorting to intimidatory police tactics against MPs and critics indicates the extend of the government’s fear of losing the no-confidence vote”.
Resorting to intimidatory police tactics against MPs and critics indicates extent of govt's fear of losing the no-confidence vote on 27th.
— Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (@maumoonagayoom) March 23, 2017
His tweet comes hours after news broke that his son, MP for Dhiggaru constituency Ahmed Faris had been summoned to the police multiple times on Thursday.
READ MORE: MP Faris summoned to police
While the parliamentarian was summoned to the police headquarters at 2 pm on Thursday, RaajjeMV understands that he was questioned regarding an audit report of Theemuge. He is reported to have been summoned to the police thrice on Thursday.
Police confirmed to RaajjeMV that Faris Maumoon was summoned for questioning over an ongoing investigation, but did not reveal whether Faris was brought in thrice, saying that “at times, individuals are required to come in more than once.”
RaajjeMV understands that Faris had opted to remain silent during the questioning, saying that he will only answer the questions in the presence of an attorney*.
Faris has been spearheading the no-confidence motion against speaker Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed, with the signatures of 25 opposition lawmakers.
Faris, in an interview to RaajjeTV’s Fala Surukhee program on Saturday, maintained that they have enough votes to impeach the speaker.
He was summoned to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on March 14, and was questioned regarding an ongoing investigation.
Faris said described his summoning to ACC as “politically motivated harassment before the speaker’s no confidence vote.”
Leader of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), former President Nasheed commended Faris’s work saying he admired the MP’s “strength in the face of such blatant intimidation.”
Admire your strength in the face of such blatant intimidation @afarismaumoon.
— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) March 13, 2017
On Wednesday, he joined lawmakers from Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Jumhooree Party (JP), and Adhaalath Party, in a multi-party press conference, representing Maumoon's faction of PPM.
While incumbent President Abdulla Yameen is his half-uncle, Faris has been working alongside his father since the party’s split into two factions- Maumoon faction and Yameen faction- over party leadeship in June 2016.
Maumoon, who has been working to reform PPM since, officially withdrew support for his brother’s administration in October 2016.
*RaajjeMV was unable to get a comment from MP Faris at the time of publishing.
