Mahloof case verdict postponed to Thursday

The verdict in second case built against MP Ahmed Mahloof for allegedly obstructing police from performing their duty – originally scheduled for Wednesday, has been re-scheduled to Thursday.

The hearing to issue the verdict was originally scheduled for 1 pm, this Wednesday.

The reason why the hearing was cancelled and then re-scheduled to Thursday is unclear at the moment. And the Criminal Curt media official has been unresponsive to calls made by “Sun”.

The second case against Mahloof for obstructing police officers from performing their duty is for allegedly pushing through police barricades placed on Boduthakurufaanu Magu, Ismail Didi Goalhi on the night of March 25 during widespread opposition protests in Male’.

A police officer testified on behalf of the state prosecution that he saw Mahloof pushing through barricades, while two other officers testified that they heard the first officer saying Mahloof had pushed through the barricades over their walkie-talkies.

The judge made the decision last Monday not to allow for witnesses in defense.

Mahloof has already been sentenced to 4-months and 24-days in prison for a similar charge.

He was found guilty, last Monday, of refusing to board the police vehicle after a remand hearing on April 3 in spite of repeated instructions by officers, and attempting to make a run for it.

Mahloof maintained throughout the trial that he had not tried to make a run for it, but had rather instinctively rushed to his wife’s rescue because police officers had been “all over her.”