Minister Faiszer Musthapha left for Maldives last night as a special envoy of the Government to negotiate the release of a Sri Lankan man held there on charges of being part of an assassination plot on Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen.
A spokesperson said, Minister Musthapha is expected to meet the defence lawyer and the government officials in Maldives.
After two years of detention without a fair trial, and continuous postponement of the hearing date, the Maldivian Criminal court has fixed to hear Lahiru Madushanka’s case on October 11, his Lawyer Fareesha Abdulla told the Sunday Observer.
The defence lawyers are expected to make a fresh attempt at Thursday’s hearing to bail him out.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Secretary Prasad Kariyawasam said, they were making urgent efforts to get Lahiru released from the Maldives’ maximum security Maafushi prison in Kaafu Atoll, where he is currently detained. He said they are hopeful that Lahiru might be released this month.
His case was last heard on September 22, 2016.
Lahiru who is married and has a son was arrested in October 2015 at Male International Airport. He was accused of being a sniper contracted to assassinate the Maldivian President. His parents had informed the court through his lawyer, the Human Rights Commission and the Foreign Ministry that he had never had weapons training or any military training in the past and that they believe that he had been set up by someone.
Lahiru arrived in Male to work as a driver and was forced to return when his contact did not meet him on arrival. However, in less than 24 hours he was locked up by the Maldivian police.