Four suspects were arrested on Tuesday over the assault of Maradhoo MP Ibrahim Shareef from the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) amid the heat of Saturday's presidential election.
Three men aged 24 and one man aged 27 were arrested with court orders, the police said, after which two of the 24-year-olds and the 27-year-old were remanded in custody for 60 days. The other 24-year-old man was detained for 30 days.
On the day that MDP candidate President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih faced defeat, Shareef was assaulted by a group at the Manhattan Business Hotel in Male'.
"A big group came and attacked me while I was with some people at Manhattan. I don't know at all why they attacked. It's not even clear who the attackers were," Shareef said on the day.
He was struck on the face and sustained an eye injury. Shareef has since recovered after seeking treatment at the hospital.
At the time, Shareef alleged that the opposition Progressive Party of Maldives-People's National Congress (PPM-PNC) were behind the assault in an attempt to incite unrest on voting day.
But the PPM-PNC, which won the election, denied any involvement in the attack. Some people alleged that the attack occurred due to an internal dispute within the MDP.
MDP MP for Feydhoo Mohamed Nihad was also assaulted on the same day. Addu City Mayor Ali Nizar confirmed to Adhadhu that Nihad sustained injuries in the attack.
Nizar said the motive and the group responsible for the attack is unclear. Nihad was in Addu City's Feydhoo on election day.
