COLOMBO: A court in the Maldives on Sunday ordered the arrest of the country’s first democratically-elected president Mohamed Nasheed, who has challenged the legality of a criminal trial against him.

The Hulhumale magistrates court issued the arrest warrant after Nasheed failed for a second time to show up before a special three-judge bench set up to try him for abuse of power when he was in office.

A court official said the warrant asked police to “keep Mr Nasheed in custody until he is produced before the court”.

There was no immediate reaction from Nasheed or his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which has made it clear that they will not abide by any decisions of the court.

Earlier in the day Nasheed said he was challenging the legality of the judicial process against him.—AFP