Rasheed stands accused of sexually abusing a 17 year-old girl in December 2012.

The Criminal Court stated that the Prosecutor General had filed the case in the court on February 19.

The Criminal Court told the media that Rasheed was charged under article [c] of the Special Measure for Perpetrators of Child Sex Abuse Act of 2009, which states that perpetrators of child sex abuse can be sentenced up to 14 years.

Ibrahim Rasheed is a well-known politician and a senior figure within the opposition MDP who  also served in the President’s Office under the former government of Mohamed Nasheed.

Rasheed was arrested on December 6, 2012, after being discovered in a house in Galolhu Ward of Male’ with a seventeen year-old girl.

The local media at the time quoted police as saying that when officers entered the room containing Rasheed, he was naked with the girl.

However, police later declined to confirm these reports.

In January 6, 2013, the Criminal Court placed Rasheed under house arrest, after keeping him in pretrial detention for a month.

According to Maldivian law, any person under 18 years of age is considered a minor.