"State's presentation of cases are misleading"

Lawyer Ibrahim Riffath representing the MP for Maduvvari constituency, Mohamed Ameeth, has said that the state is presenting the falsely at the Supreme Court in the case on the Election's Commission's decision declaring that some MPs have lost their seat at the parliament.

Speaking at the hearing in relation to Ameenth's parliamentarian seat today, lawyer Riffath said that the state's declaration that Ameeth was dismissed from PPM after the Supreme Court made the ruling on parliamentarian losing their seat for leaving their parties, is "unbelievable to the human mind".

He said that such statements also diminishes the Supreme Court. Riffath accused that the State and the Elections Commission of misusing the Supreme Court ruling to achieve a political goal.

In response, the state lawyer said that the accusations have no basis and there is no weight to carry the statement on the Elections Commission failing to fulfill their duties.

Lawyer Riffath said that the Law of the Political Parties states that a member of a party is dismissed from their respective party once the said party takes action. In Ameeth's case, lawyer Riffath said that the PPM's disciplinary committee ruled to dismiss him from the party on 29 March 2017.

However, the state attorney said that Ameeth's name was removed from the PPM list by the Elections Commission after the Supreme Court ruling.

She said that if only a letter is required to leave a political party, others may use an MP's name to remove them from a party and so it is not an effective method.

The state attorney said that after the PPM committee made the decision, MP Ameeth has appeared at the parliament stating that he is a member of PPM and it proves that he was a member up to his dismissal after the Court ruling.

As evidence to the fact, the state submitted MP Ameeth's talks at the parliament into record.

Speaking at the hearing, Ameeth said that he has not been invited to any PPM events since his dismissal in March and he has not been invited to a meeting of the PPM Parliamentary Group.

Ameeth said that he had requested the Elections Commission to remove him from the PPM list before the Supreme Court ruling.

Lawyer Riffath request the court on behalf of Ameeth to reverse the decision from the Elections Commission to save his parliamentarian seat.

Chief Judge, Abdulla Saeed ended the hearing after stating that if another hearing is scheduled, both parties will be notified.