MP Hamid sentenced to 6 months in prison

Criminal Court has sentenced Henveyru-South MP Hamid Abdul Gafoor to 6 months in prison for contempt of court.

MP Hamid was sentenced in absentia this afternoon.

Announcing the sentence today, Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed said MP Hamid had refused to attend court after accepting summons on two occasions and that his home had refused to accept a summons order.

The chief judge said that attempts to bring MP Hamid to court though the State authorities have failed and thus, the court sentences him to 6 months in prison for contempt of court.

Parliament on Wednesday amended the parliament regulation to allow MPs serving criminal sentences to attend parliament sessions, by removing Article 55 (h), which stated that if a MP is convicted of a criminal offence, the MP must forego, for the duration of serving the penalty, the right to attend parliament and to vote in parliament sessions.

Article 73 (c) (2) of the constitution, the article outlining the qualifications of MPs, states that a MP shall be disqualified if he has been convicted of a criminal offence and is serving a sentence of more than twelve months.

Criminal Court on Tuesday said it will conclude the case against MP Hamid on today, in absentia if necessary.

MP Hamid is being sought by the court for charges against him for refusing to provide urine samples to the authorities, following his arrest from Haa Dhaalu Hondaidhoo in November last year.

MP Hamid remains in refuge inside the parliament building.