Hiyalee Rasheed requests intelligence information on election as evidence

Hiyalee Mohamed Rasheed, Progressive Party of Maldives’ (PPM) Parliamentary Election candidate for Hithadhoo Medhu constituency, has asked High Court to grant permission to obtain police intelligence information related to the election, to prove his claim that some candidates who ran for Hithadhoo Medhu seat bribed members of the public to influence the election.

The first hearing on the case filed by Hiyalee Rasheed requesting annulment of Hithadhoo Medu election was held in High Court today.

The judge asked Hiyalee Rasheed’s lawyer Ibrahim Waheed, following his request, if he was informed that the police had collected any such information - to which Waheed replied that he was not informed if this information existed.

Waheed had however stated in the case filed to court, that intelligence information existed to indicate that the election was influenced.

The court did not make a decision today on granting permission to obtain police intelligence information such as phone calls, to support the plaintiff’s claim.

Waheed further said in court today that Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Didi and independent candidate Hussain Solih used money and other means to bribe the public to vote for them in the Hithadhoo Medhu election.

He also claimed that some people’s identity cards were seized to prevent them from voting.

Waheed presented ten witnesses to prove his claim that the election was influenced.

Ibrahim Mohamed Didi, who won the election, has requested intervention in the case. His lawyer Ibrahim Fareed said that the election cannot be annulled based on suspicions, before the criminal allegations are proven in court.

The three High Court judges presiding over this case announced that the next hearing will be scheduled soon.

Hithadhoo Medhu seat was won with 1,099 votes by MDP candidate former Brigadier General Ibrahim Mohamed Didi. Hiyalee Rasheed received 898 votes, while independent candidate Hussain Salih received 554 votes.