MP Abdulla Riyaz cleared of obstruction charge
A three-judge panel at the criminal court ruled Sunday morning that the police obtained evidence against the lawmaker in contravention of the parliamentary privileges law.
09 Jul 2017, 9:00 AM
Jumhooree Party MP Abdulla Riyaz has been found not guilty of obstructing police officers over his refusal to unlock his mobile phone.
A three-judge panel at the criminal court ruled Sunday morning that the prosecution was unable to prove criminal intent due to inconsistencies in the testimony of the police officers. The police also wrongfully seized the lawmaker’s phone without the evidence required by the criminal procedures law, the judges noted.
The charge of obstructing a law enforcement officer is a class one misdemeanour that carries a jail term of four months and 24 days.
Riyaz, a former police chief and the JP’s deputy leader, was put on trial in early April after a new alliance formed between opposition parties and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom sought to seize the parliament’s majority.
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