State institutions fail to produce MP Hamid to court, hearing cancelled again

Criminal Court has again cancelled the hearing for Henveyru-South MP Hamid Abdul Gafoor’s case for refusing to provide urine samples to authorities, following his arrest from Haa Dhaalu Hondaidhoo in November last year.

Media official at the Criminal Court Ahmed Manik said the hearing, scheduled for 2:00 p.m. today, was cancelled after the Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Services (DPRS) failed to produce the MP to court.

He said DPRS was asked to produce the MP Hamid because the MP currently carries a prison sentence of 6 months. On 31 October, Criminal Court sentenced MP Hamid to 6 months in prison for contempt of court, after stating that he had refused to attend hearings, having accepted summons on two occasions.

MP Hamid still remains inside the parliament building, seeking refuge.

It is yet unclear if the DPRS is working to implement the Criminal Court order to take him to prison.

A comment from DPRS could not be obtained as the person in charge, Minister of State for Home Affairs Mohamed Fayaz was not answering calls at the time of press.