Nihan's Hearing Cancelled Upon Lawyer's Request

The Criminal Court has canceled the hearing for charges faced by former Member of Parliament for Villimale' constituency and ex-Leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives' (PPM) parliamentary group Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik.

The court revealed that the hearing for Nihan, charged with three counts of accepting bribes and two counts of asking for bribes, was scheduled for 9 am today, but canceled upon the request of Nihan's lawyer. Currently, the case is in the preliminary stage.

Nihan is accused of requesting bribes from former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, accepting bribes, and laundering the bribe from Adeeb during his time as an MP. The Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) previously revealed that Nihan received USD 150,000 from SOF Pvt Ltd.

The PGO also claimed that Nihan used the money and additional funds to purchase an apartment at Platinum Residences, and accepted a Rolex watch as a bribe from former VP Adeeb. The state is also attempting to recover the funds acquired from his crimes. Nihan is currently a member of the Jumhooree Party.