Wednesday’s appeal hearing on Dhiggaru Constituency MP Ahmed Faris Maumoon was postponed after the parliamentarian requested for time to meet his lawyers.
The appeal case of arrest and detention for the duration of investigation and trial was postponed, citing that MP Faris did not have the opportunity to meet his lawyers.
The next hearings of the case will be held next week.
In the last hearings of the case held on the 31st of last month, where the Court ruled the change to High Court bench mid-trial was legal. While the appeal case was first reviewed by Judges Abdulla Didi, Ali Sameer and Abdul Rauf Ibrahim, Sameer was replaced mid-trial by Judge Shujau Usman. He was then appointed as the presiding judge in the case.
MP Faris was arrested in connection to the case on July 18th, with Criminal Court ordering the next day, that he should be detained for the duration of the investigation and trial of the case.
The charges were first raised on the Parliamentarian on 22nd August. The case documents were exchanged on August 28th.
The Parliamentarian is charged under clause 510 (b) of the Penal Code. This class ‘three’ felony carries a sentence of three years and 12 months. If proven guilty, MP Faris stands to lose his Parliament seat.
The charges were raised on MP Faris after he spearheaded the no confidence motion on Parliament Speaker Abdullah Maseeh. The motion earned the signatures of 45 MPs, more than the required majority.
In addition to the bribery charges State prosecutors had also filed charges of identity fraud against MP Faris, for having used the ruling party’s flag and logo at a joint press conference with leaders of the opposition.
