Ex-Minister’s pretrial hearing cancelled

The pretrial hearing, scheduled for Sunday, on terror charges against former Defense Minister Ameen Faisal has been cancelled.

Criminal Court said the hearings scheduled for 10 am Sunday, had been cancelled as the presiding Judge Ibrahim Ali was absent on account of his health. No date had been announced for the next hearing.

Faisal is facing terror charges against him for having ordered President Abdulla Yameen’s detention in 2010. Prosecutors charged Faisal under the second clause of the Prevention of Terrorism Act’s Article 2 – for kidnapping and taking a hostage. The case was filed in October, 2016.

President Yameen, who was then the parliamentary representative to Mulaku constituency, was detained in July 14, taken to Aarah Island in Kaafu atoll, and released on the 23rd, nine days later.

Yameen was detained after his release from Police custody, under a Supreme Court order, amidst speculation that bribes were being funneled to MPs in a bid to remove then President Mohamed Nasheed from office.

However, Nasheed’s government maintained that Yameen was detained for his own safety following a National Security Committee decision. As Minister of Defence, Ameen Faisal would have also been on this committee.