A court in the Maldives on Wednesday sentenced former leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom to 19 months in prison for obstructing an investigation into an alleged plot to oust President Abdulla Yameen.
The Criminal Court ruled that Mr. Gayoom, 80, interfered with the probe into the attempt to topple Mr. Yameen, his half-brother, by refusing to divulge his phone details.
Chief Justice held
Mr. Gayoom was arrested along with Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed in February for their alleged role in clearing the way for an impeachment of Mr. Yameen. The three men are facing a separate charge of terrorism and that case is still pending.
They were arrested soon after Mr. Yameen declared a state of emergency which removed Parliament’s power to impeach him.
