COLOMBO: A court in the Maldives yesterday ordered the arrest of the country’s first democratically-elected president Mohamed Nasheed, who has challenged the legality of a criminal trial against him.
The Hulhumale magistrates court issued the arrest warrant after Nasheed failed for a second time to show up before a special three-judge bench set up to try him for abuse of power when he was in office.
A court official said the warrant asked police to “keep Mr Nasheed in custody until he is produced before the court”.
There was no immediate reaction from Nasheed or his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which has made it clear that they will not abide by any decisions of the court.
Earlier in the day Nasheed said he was challenging the legality of the judicial process against him.
“Questioning the legitimacy of the ad hoc magistrate court,” he said on Twitter. “I have appealed the case with the high court and I await a decision.”
Official sources said his appeal had been rejected.
Two South Korean tourists killed in Sri Lanka lightning
COLOMBO: Two foreign tourists killed by lightning in Sri Lanka’s central region have been identified as South Koreans, police said yesterday, correcting earlier reports they were Chinese.
Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said the victims, a man and a woman, had been erroneously identified as Chinese tourists after the Saturday evening strike in Haputale, 200km east of Colombo.
“It is now established that the victims were in a group of South Korean tourists,” Rohana said. “The autopsies will be done today (Sunday).” He said three other South Korean women were injured and were undergoing hospital treatment.
Agencies
