Former Foreign Minister and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) President Abdullah Shahid has been arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing a minor, police have confirmed.
Shahid, 64, was arrested in Hulhumalé at 9:59 p.m. on Monday, November 2, under a court order, according to a statement issued by the Maldives Police Service.
Police said the arrest was made in connection with allegations of sexual abuse involving a child under the age of 18. The case is currently under investigation.
News of the arrest emerged after police entered Shahid’s residence in Hulhumalé to take him into custody. Reports of the arrest began circulating in local media shortly before Shahid addressed the allegations in a post on X.
Denying the allegations, Shahid described the claims as politically motivated and completely false.
“Stories being spread politically to assassinate my character are entirely baseless lies. I urge everyone not to spread such unsubstantiated claims,” he wrote.
Police confirmed the arrest at 10:09 p.m., approximately 30 minutes after Shahid published his post.
According to information received, Shahid was arrested in connection with an alleged sexual abuse case involving a 15-year-old girl who is reportedly related to him. The case was reportedly brought to the authorities by the girl herself.
Police have yet to issue a statement providing further details about the allegations.
Shahid’s arrest marks the first known instance in Maldivian history of a person who has held such a high-ranking government position being arrested over allegations of this nature.
No further details about the alleged incident or the minor involved have been made public. The investigation is ongoing.
