MP Riyaz pleads not guilty to obstruction charge
At a preliminary hearing Thursday morning, Judge Ahmed Shakeel rejected the state prosecutor’s request to detain Riyaz until the end of the trial, dismissing the prosecution’s argument that he could attempt to influence evidence in a separate case.
13 Apr 2017, 9:00 AM
Jumhoree Party MP Abdulla Riyaz has pleaded not guilty to an obstruction charge raised over his refusal to help police unlock his confiscate mobile phone.
At a preliminary hearing Thursday morning, Judge Ahmed Shakeel rejected the state prosecutor’s request to detain Riyaz until the end of the trial, dismissing the prosecution’s argument that he could attempt to influence the investigation and evidence of a separate case.
The charge of obstructing a law enforcement officer is a class one misdemeanour that carries a jail term of four months and 24 days.
State Prosecutor Ali Akbar informed Riyaz that the sentence will be reduced to three months and 18 days if he pleads guilty. But Riyaz’s lawyer Ali Zahir told the court that his client wishes to contest the charge.
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