Jumhooree Party leader Qasim Ibrahim’s arrest could ‘destabilise’ the Maldives, said former President Mohamed Nasheed.
Nasheed said in a tweet on Friday that the arrest is ‘unlawful’.
Hon. Qasim unlawfully arrested again. Such actions will destabilise Maldives & the Indian Ocean. International community must take action.
— Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) April 21, 2017
The former president had responded unfavourably to Qasim’s apprehension earlier as well, where he described the move as shameful.
Officers arrested and detained Qasim Ibrahim on the night of 6th April on allegations of bribery, attempting to influence the conduct of a public official, and trying to sway a voter.
The court released Qasim the following week citing article 13 of the Parliament Privileges Act, which states that a parliamentarian can only be arrested in relation to an ongoing criminal prosecution at the behest of the Prosecutor General’s Office at superior court.
The court had ordered the MP’s immediate release, stating that the Criminal Court’s warrant for his arrest was granted outside legal ambit
At the hearing last week, prosecutors made it a point to reveal that their office had not asked for a warrant, and that the request for authorization to arrest Qasim was made solely by the police.
