AFP, COLOMBO
Maldivian police on Tuesday arrested two lawmakers on graft charges as the US announced it would send an envoy to the archipelago to try to resolve its deepening political crisis.
Vice speaker of parliament and opposition lawmaker Ahmed Nazim and ruling party parliamentarian Mohamed Musthafa were arrested for allegedly bribing a judge in a civil case, police said.
"The two MPs offered a civil court judge a 6,000-dollar cash bribe and three airtickets," police spokesman Ahmed Shiyam told AFP by telephone from Male.
Nazim was already under a 15-day house arrest on separate charges of bribing lawmakers to block bills in parliament when he was detained on Tuesday, police said. Musthafa is the first ruling party lawmaker to be arrested in a crackdown on corruption recently announced President Mohamed Nasheed, Shiyam said.
The latest arrests came as the US said Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake will visit the Maldives on Thursday for meetings with Nasheed's government and the opposition. link: http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=183103
Washington last week urged the Maldives to accept international offers of mediation to resolve a power struggle between Nasheed and the opposition-controlled parliament.
Several angry street demonstrations in the capital last week injured at least nine police officers and six civilians.
On June 29, the 13-member cabinet resigned en masse a day before parliament was to impeach the education minister. The opposition had vowed to bring down Nasheed's administration and accused him of incompetence.
On the same day, police arrested three key opposition MPs for allegedly offering cash to bribe parliamentarians to vote against the government.
Nasheed, who has become known globally for his calls for action to tackle climate change, accuses parliament of blocking key bills including tax reforms. |
