Deposed ruling party leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's lawmaker son Faris Maumoon on Wednesday raised concerns over his safety accusing the government of attempting to "eliminate" him.
The Dhiggaru MP has been at the forefront of the ongoing government crackdown on the opposition after he spearheaded a move to unseat the parliament speaker last year. Former president Gayoom's eldest son had spent six months in pre-trial detention after he was charged with bribing fellow lawmakers to back the opposition led censure motion against the speaker.
Less than two days after he was released, police again took him into custody accusing him of plotting to overthrow the government. During the preliminary hearing of the bribery trial, Faris insisted that he was being targeted by the state institutions and he was no longer protected by the laws governing the country.
"I'm outside of the protection of the law. Some influential people have labelled me as a person to be eliminated and the state institutions are trying to cast me aside. I don't believe that I'll get justice," Faris lamented.
Despite repeated attempts to bring up Faris' re-arrest, the judge has refused to hear the defence's pleas.
