Former lawmaker, Ibrahim Shujau has been fined for violating Covid-19 safety guidelines.

He was fined MVR 1,000 for violating the Health Protection Agency (HPA)’s guidelines, during an opposition rally held in the capital on Friday.

The former Baarah constituency MP and deputy of the People’s National Congress (PNC) was summoned to the police over the matter on Sunday night.

Speaking to the media afterwards with his attorney, former Prosecutor General Muhuthaz Muhusin, Shujau heavily criticized incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and claimed that they are only working to hold the government accountable and said that this work cannot be stopped.

He added that they will not allow the country “to be made a slave to another.”

Muhuthaz said that there is no room to raise criminal charges against his client, and criticized police saying that there were inconsistencies in the reason for the summon and the questions asked.

Shujau is accused of obstruction of governmental operations, for violating HPA guidelines, as well as violating peaceful assembly laws.

The former lawmaker was one of the organizers of Friday’s rally, which ended with a motorcycle round in the capital where a number of participants were seen without face masks and violating social distancing rules.

Former President, and the recently appointed advisor to the opposition, Dr. Mohamed Waheed was also questioned by the police on Sunday, over the same matter. He tried to justify not wearing a face mask at the rally by saying that he has been wearing them “even before the World Health Organization made the recommendation.”

PNC President and former Fonadhoo constituency MP, Abdul Raheem Abdulla has been summoned for Tuesday along with Naifaru constituency MP Ahmed Shiyam.