Man Fined for Assaulting Taxi Queue Officer at Velana International Airport
The Criminal Court has fined a man who admitted to assaulting a Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) employee responsible for managing the taxi queue at Velana International Airport. The man struck the officer across the face during the incident, which took place last year.
The court had brought three charges against the man: assault, touching a person without consent, and damaging property. The accused pled guilty to all charges.
For touching a person without consent, the court imposed a fine of MVR 3,600. The assault charge resulted in a four-day prison sentence and a fine of MVR 13,600. Because the man had already been held in remand, the prison sentence is considered served.
In addition, the property damage charge carried a six-day prison term and a fine of MVR 9,600. Like the previous sentence, the prison term is waived due to time served in remand.
The Criminal Court has previously fined a foreign national for assaulting a MACL employee, showing that such behavior at the airport is taken seriously.
The court’s decisions emphasize that attacking or obstructing airport staff can result in fines and, in serious cases, prison sentences.