Court schedules hearing against ex-MP for refusal to provide specimen

The Criminal Court has scheduled the hearing against former MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor for Thursday, on charges of refusing to provide a specimen for analysis.

The hearing has been scheduled for 10:00 am.

Hamid is being charged under Article 123 of the Drugs Act for refusing to provide a urine sample for testing after his heavily publicized arrest from Hondaidhoo Island in 2012.

Under the act, a person who fails to provide a specimen upon request by a police officer commits a crime punishable by a year in prison.

The charges were raised in 2012 as well, after Hamid was apprehended along with two other prominent politicians, though the prosecution had dropped charges after the court proceedings had been completed.

The charges were raised again on October 16 last year, however the court had cancelled its hearing given that the former parliamentarian had been out of the country.

Hamid, who even now resides abroad, said that the charges are baseless.