PPM PG leader threatens to sue journalist over a question

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM)’s Parliamentary Group leader, Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik, has threatened to press charges against Raajje Television’s senior video journalist, Ahmed Azmoon, over a question he asked at a live press conference on Saturday.

The threat came at a live press conference held by PPM and its coalition partner, Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) on Saturday afternoon, where Azmoon questioned the 41 lawmakers present regarding the alleged links between parliamentarians and the biggest corruption case in Maldives’ history, the MMPRC (Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation) corruption case.

“The biggest criticism you face is over the MMPRC corruption case. There are allegations that, except for a few of you, all parliamentarians have been given islands. That this is the reason you are standing behind President Yameen. That you are being forced to do so. How much truth is there to this?” Azmoon asked.

As soon as the journalist asked the question, PPM’s PG leader Nihan threatened to raise defamation charges against Azmoon, and Nihan answered the question by telling him to “get ready to go to Court under the Defamation Act”.

He said that he will meet Azmoon with an answer to the question “in court”.

Kelaa constituency MP Ali Arif also responded to Azmoon, and asked him to “give out the names of the accusers”, reminding RaajjeTV that they “can throw whatever accusations they want” at the station as well.

While lawmakers threaten to press charges against Azmoon, a case where his life was threatened was filed at Maldives Police Service (MPS) in 2016. However, there have been updates in the investigation.

On March 7, Raajje Television was fined MVR 200,000 by the Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC) under Article 14 of the Defamation and Freedom of Speech Act, and its former journalist was fined MVR 50,000 under Article 10.