Verdict looms in Maldives election challenge

The Supreme Court inched closer Monday to a decision on President Abdulla Yameen’s petition to annul the September 23 election.

As hearings entered its second day amid growing public anxiety, lawyers sparred over secret witnesses who would confess to an alleged conspiracy with Elections Commission chief Ahmed Shareef to commit voter fraud.

Chief Justice Dr Ahmed Abdulla Didi announced the court would decide whether to hear their testimony at a final hearing scheduled for 10:30am Tuesday.

During the four-hour hearing, the president’s lawyer Abbas Shareef argued the three witnesses could face serious threats if their identities were revealed. Their story was powerful enough for the justices to allow anonymised testimony, he said.