Mahloof requests lawyer at State expense

Southern Galolhu representative at People’s Majlis Ahmed Mahloof – who has been charged with obstructing police from performing their duties – has requested that a defense attorney be hired for him at State expense.

Speaking to media after a meeting at Criminal Court on Monday to clarify the charges against him, Mahloof said that it was most likely that the charges against him were in relation to what happened during the opposition protest dubbed “Protest Against Government Cruelty”.

The first hearing on the case has been scheduled for 2 pm on February 11.

Mahloof said that he was ready to take it on.

He said that hiring a defense attorney for “every such charge” was a huge expense. And that he had therefore requested that a lawyer be hired for him at State expense.

“We can’t be expected to hire a lawyer all the time for our political activities. Lawyers themselves name a high price. I requested that a lawyer be hired through court at State expense. But I don’t think they will honor my request based on their response,” said Mahloof.

According to regulation on arranging defense attorneys at State expense, such arrangements can be made only on certain types of cases – including terrorism related cases, murder cases and cases that carry a death sentence if the accused is found guilty.

It is unclear as to what exactly the charge against Mahloof is based on. Mahloof had been arrested a number of times during opposition rallies during 2015.

Mahloof was arrested on March 25, 2015 for breaking through police barricades during an opposition protest near Maldives Monetary Authority but later released from police custody after High Court ruled that Mahloof did not need to be kept under police custody.