Court acquits individual accused of submitting fake form for party admission

The Criminal Court yesterday ruled in favour of an individual who is accused of falsifying a fingerprint to register someone as a member of Jumhooree Party at the Elections Commission.

The court acquitted the individual who is accused of forging the signature and fingerprint of another person on the party registration form and submitting it to the Elections Commission on January 2020.

The state charged an unnamed individual from Noonu atoll's Velidhoo in the case, and marks the first time the state has initiated a criminal charge over an alleged forged party registration form.

The defendant denied the charges levelled against them, and the court's ruling said the individual's handwriting did not match that on the form. The judgment also stated that while anyone could have written the general information required on the party admission form, despite the form having the defendant's fingerprint, there is no evidence suggesting that he or she filled it in someone else's name or whether it happened with their knowledge.

As such, the charges were dismissed.

Despite not winning this case, the Elections Commission has previously taken action against political parties over registration issues, including fining some parties over such discrepancies.