The Criminal Court has ordered that former Foreign Minister and former Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) president Abdulla Shahid be held in custody for 30 days, after he was presented before the court today for a hearing on his detention. Shahid was arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing a minor.
Police said Shahid was arrested under a court warrant yesterday evening on suspicion of sexually abusing a child under the age of 18. The court has now granted a 30-day detention period to allow police to complete their investigation into the case.
The incident has caused considerable concern in the Maldives' political arena. Shahid had earlier resigned as MDP president in order to contest the party's primary for the 2028 presidential election.
Maldives Police Service said it is continuing to investigate the case as a serious matter.
Leave a reaction