The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail has been summoned to the police station today.
Fayyaz and his legal team appeared at the Sergeant Adam Haleem Criminal Investigation Building in connection with the alleged embezzlement of funds from the Road Development Corporation (RDC).
MDP leadership and supporters gathered in the area and the party has criticized the government for the "politically motivated" investigation.
Fayyaz is the first politician summoned for a police investigation since President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu assumed office in November last year.
The former Economic Minister has denied any wrongdoing and slammed the government for influencing the police for political reasons.
The government is trying to intimidate the MDP leadership and keep the general public in a state of fear, Fayyaz alleged.
But MDP members cannot be politically intimidated, he said.
MDP's advisor former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and the party's President Abdulla Shahid described this as a "baseless" political case.
The RDC corruption is being jointly investigated by the police and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). According to information released by the police, the case was reported more than an year ago in September 2022.
