Goverment on Sunday refused to lift the travel ban on opposition Jumhoory Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim to allow the business magnate to travel to Singapore to receive medical treatment.
Gasim was admitted in hospital earlier Sunday hours before he was scheduled to be in court over three separate criminal charges.
JP secretary general Ahmed Sameer confirmed that Gasim had been admitted in Medica Hospital after feeling dizzy and nauseous.
"He [Gasim] came to office around 12.30pm before he was to go to court at 2.00pm. But in the car he said he was feeling dizzy and nauseous. So we rushed him to Medica," Sameer had said.
The Maamigili lawmaker's family had decided to send him to Singapore after his condition reportedly worsened. The court had reportedly given the green light for Gasim to travel.
However a top party official told Avas that Gasim had been held at the airport saying that the travel ban had not been lifted. He has since been taken to the privately run ADK hospital in the capital Male.
The trial was scheduled after prosecutors, on Wednesday, re-filed charges against opposition Jumhoory Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim, two days after the Criminal Court dismissed the case.
The business magnate had three separate charges levied against him, which include, conspiring to overthrow the government, attempting to bribe government lawmakers ahead of the censure motion against parliament speaker Abdullah Maseeh in late March, and undue influence on a state official.
Criminal Court on Tuesday threw out the case against the Maamigili lawmaker Ibrahim after prosecutors failed to show up for the hearing.
Prosecutor General's (PG) office however said the prosecution had in writing, asked the court to delay the hearing for Wednesday which was the reason behind the no-show.
Hours after the case dismissal, judicial watchdog demoted chief criminal judge Abdul Baaree Yoosuf and another criminal court judge to the juvenile court.
Judicial Service Commission (JSC) said the move was instructed by the Supreme Court, but the reasons remain unclear.
JSC had summoned Judge Baaree for unknown reasons on Tuesday morning, hours before Gasim's trial resumed.
The now united opposition has long accused the government of undue influence over the judiciary, using the courts to jail political opponents on trumped up charges.
However, criminal court's most recent rulings had been in favour of the opposition which included the acquittal of deputy JP leader Abdulla Riyaz.
Maldives has been hit by fresh political strife after the opposition wrested parliament control from the government to file a fresh censure motion against the speaker.
