The political crisis in the Maldives has deepened with lawmakers voting to fire the country’s chief public prosecutor after he refused to press corruption charges against the country’s sacked vice-president.
Fifty seven lawmakers of the 85-member Parliament voted late Tuesday to fire Prosecutor-General Muhtaz Muhzin. Others were absent or abstained from voting.
Mr. Muhzin’s sacking comes days after he refused to charge former Vice-President Ahmed Adeeb for corruption, saying the police did not have a strong case. Mr. Adeeb is now in detention suspected of plotting to kill President Yameen Abdul Gayoom. Mr. Muhzin is the third top official sacked by Parliament controlled by Mr. Gayoom since July after Mr. Adeeb and his predecessor Mohamed Jameel.
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Maldives has been tense since a September blast in Mr. Gayoom’s boat, which authorities call an assassination attempt.
Mr. Gayoom on Tuesday lifted a state of emergency less than a week after he had declared it citing a security threat following the blast and subsequent discovery of weapons and a homemade bomb, which the government says were apparently targeting the President.
The emergency was originally meant for a month and drew international criticism for its suspension of important citizens’ rights.
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FBI agents from the United States investigated the blast and said they found no evidence to suggest a bomb caused the explosion on the boat. Mr. Gayoom was unhurt but his wife, an aide and a bodyguard were injured.
The main opposition, the Maldivian Democratic Party, has said Mr. Gayoom seems to be willing to make up threats to national security to settle political scores.