A new case has been filed at the Supreme Court after its registrar rejected a petition to ensure the electoral rights of opposition presidential candidate and former President Abdulla Yameen.
The registrar decided last Sunday not to register a constitutional case filed on Saturday night. The Supreme Court has confirmed to Adhadhu that a fresh new case has now been filed.
The Supreme Court has yet to make a decision on accepting the new case.
The Supreme Court was petitioned to declare that the High Court was depriving Yameen of the right to appeal granted by Article 56 of the constitution by not conducting appeal hearings within a reasonable time.
Yameen's lawyers were unavailable for comment.
Yameen's legal team previously said that the case was filed at the Supreme Court over the alleged infringement of his basic rights and electoral rights due to delays in concluding the appeal at the High Court.
“I have filed a constitutional case in the Supreme Court of Maldives on behalf of President Yameen to ensure his rights,” lawyer Adam Shameem tweeted after filing the first case.
Yameen was sentenced to 11 years in prison after he was found guilty of accepting a USD 1.1 million bribe from Yoosuf Naeem to lease Vaavu Aarah.
The appeal of the verdict started at the High Court last month but no hearing has been held since the Eid holidays. Judge Huzaifa Mohamed took leave first to attend to family matters and Judge Mohamed Saleem is now on leave.
The Progressive Party of Maldives-People's National Congress (PPM-PNC) awarded the coalition's presidential ticket to Yameen, but his candidacy cannot be accepted unless the conviction is overturned, Elections Commission (EC) President Fuwad Thowfeek has said.
Yameen is also on trial on bribery and money laundering charges over the lease of Raa Fuggiri island. He is accused of accepting a USD 1.1 million bribe through Ahmed 'Krik' Riza and of laundering the money through two Sun companies.
The trial is ongoing at the Criminal Court with consecutive hearings held close together.
The EC invited applications from presidential candidates on Sunday. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih as well as Jumhooree Party leader Qasim Ibrahim and Maldives National Party leader Mohamed Nazim are contesting in the September 9 election.
Only Hulhudhoo MP Ilyas Labeeb has stood in the presidential primary of The Democrats formed by Speaker Mohamed Nasheed.
The PPM insists that Yameen remains its presidential candidate. There are disagreements among the opposition leadership as discussions take place about the course of action if Yameen is unable to contest. The leadership has been refusing to speak publicly on the issue.
