Abdulla Riyaz’s hearing cancelled over poor health

The first hearing in the trial of Kinbidhoo MP Abdulla Riyaz, scheduled for this Tuesday, has been cancelled over his poor health.

The deputy leader of opposition-aligned Jumhoory Party and the former commissioner of police, Riyaz is accused of influencing official duties of a State official.

The trial was due to begin this Tuesday with a hearing at Criminal Court at 10 am. The court now reports the hearing has been cancelled due to Riyaz’s poor health.

Riyaz was reportedly charged based on the chatlog of a conversation on his phone with a State official, discovered when he was arrested and his phone confiscated on the night of March 27, 2017.

Article 511 (a) of the Penal Code states any direct or indirect illegal communication with a State official as a crime.

He faces a minimum of nine months and 18 days in prison if convicted of the crime.

Riyaz was also previously charged with obstruction of justice after he refused to provide the PIN code to his phone after it was confiscated by the police. He was later acquitted of the charge by Criminal Court.

He, along with 11 other parliamentarians have also been pressed with an additional obstruction charge for breaking through a police line and entering the People’s Majlis premises by climbing the walls of the building, on July 24, 2017. The case is in the middle of trial.