The police have confiscated the phone belonging to Abdul Aleem, the secretary-general of the ruling party’s faction loyal to former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. 

Officers had a warrant to search the apartment he lives in, where they had found and confiscated it into their custody. 

Aleem was also ordered to provide the lock code and deactivate finger-print access to the device. 

The warrant was issued on the grounds that all electronic devices may contain information relevant to the police’s ongoing investigation into bribery ahead of the no-confidence motion against parliament speaker Abdulla Maseeh. 

The vote has been considered to be against parliament procedures by the opposition and several members of the international community.

Opposition Qasim Ibrahim was arrested on Thursday on the charges.