Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Former Maldivian foreign minister Abdulla Shahid was arrested late Monday night on charges of sexually abusing a minor. Shahid, 64, who currently heads the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), was taken into custody at 9.59 pm local time under a court order, according to the Maldives Police Service. The police said he was being investigated over allegations of sexual abuse involving a person under the age of 18.
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Shahid’s arrest comes at a crucial juncture in the MDP’s preparations for the 2028 presidential election, with the former foreign minister actively campaigning for the party’s nomination. According to the police statement issued in Dhivehi, Shahid was arrested under Section 18 of police regulations pursuant to a court warrant executed in Male.
Acceding to local media, several police officers remained deployed outside Shahid’s residence in Hulhumale, from where he was taken into custody. Police have not publicly disclosed further details of the allegations. Further court proceedings concerning his remand and custody are expected to follow.
WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE HIS ARREST?
The arrest came shortly after Shahid made a public statement on social media, appealing to people not to circulate unverified claims about him. The former foreign minister had rejected what he described as defamatory allegations, maintaining that the claims being circulated against him were untrue. He also urged people to refrain from spreading rumours.
In a post on X shortly before his arrest, Shahid wrote about the need to review government subsidies for the tourism sector in the Maldives.
“The policy of providing subsidies to the tourism sector in the Maldives should be reviewed. This type of subsidy does not benefit the poor people in any way,” he wrote.
WHO IS ABDULLA SHAHID?
Shahid is among the Maldives’ most prominent political figures and diplomats, having held several senior positions in the country’s government and international institutions.
He served as the Maldives’ foreign minister between 2018 and 2023 under the MDP administration. During his tenure, he became one of the country’s most recognisable diplomatic representatives on the international stage.
In 2021, Shahid was elected president of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), serving in the position from September 2021 to September 2022.
His election to the prestigious post was a significant diplomatic achievement for the Maldives, giving the small Indian Ocean nation a prominent role in international affairs.
Before becoming foreign minister, Shahid served as Speaker of the People’s Majlis, the Maldivian Parliament, from 2009 to 2014. Following the MDP’s defeat in the 2023 presidential election, Shahid went on to lead the party, which became the country’s principal opposition force.
Earlier this year, he announced his intention to contest for the MDP’s presidential ticket for the 2028 election, placing him at the centre of the party’s political preparations.
His arrest could now complicate the opposition party’s leadership contest and its preparations for the next presidential race.
SHAHID HAD WARNED MUIZZU AGAINST ANTI-INDIA POLITICS
The arrest also comes against the backdrop of an increasingly heated debate in the Maldives over President Mohamed Muizzu’s foreign policy, particularly his growing engagement with Pakistan and its potential implications for relations with India.
Shahid had recently criticised Muizzu’s outreach to Islamabad, warning that the Maldivian president could revive the anti-India campaign that helped propel him to power in 2023.
The controversy intensified after Muizzu undertook his first visit to Pakistan in 11 years between October 20 and 22. The three-day trip, which coincided with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, triggered criticism from opposition leaders concerned about the strategic implications of closer ties with Islamabad.
Shahid, who was campaigning for the MDP’s presidential nomination, accused Muizzu of preparing to launch another anti-India campaign, similar to the one witnessed during the 2023 election.
Muizzu’s visit to Pakistan resulted in 20 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) covering several sectors, including healthcare, education, trade, agriculture, cybersecurity, defence and maritime security.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
