Former Foreign Minister and former President of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Abdulla Shahid, has appealed his arrest warrant at the High Court following his detention on allegations of sexual abuse.
According to High Court records, the appeal against the arrest warrant was filed yesterday. However, the court has yet to make a decision on whether to register the case.
Adhadhu understands that police are investigating Shahid for the alleged repeated sexual abuse of a minor. Authorities further allege that these acts have been ongoing since early this year.
Shortly before being taken into custody, Shahid denied the allegations against him.
"The politically motivated rumours being spread to assassinate my character are baseless lies. I urge everyone to refrain from spreading such unsubstantiated claims," he wrote in a post on his official X account.
Shahid has served as the Foreign Minister twice, under the administrations of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. He also served as the President of the United Nations General Assembly. His career includes 23 years in the People’s Majlis, where he also served as Speaker of Parliament.
Until recently, Shahid held the position of President of the opposition MDP. He resigned from the post after announcing his intention to contest the party's presidential primary.
Shahid joined the MDP in April 2013. Before that, he was a prominent member of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), founded by Gayoom.
