News Desk
An American citizen involved in a confrontation at the international airport here was released on conditions by a magistrate court, Maldivian officials said on Wednesday, an incident that has prompted criticism over how the authorities handled the case.
The clash occurred on Tuesday morning at Velana International Airport, where the American is accused of punching two employees of Etihad Airways after refusing to pay fees for excess baggage, according to reports on social media.
Videos circulating online showed a man identified as the American passport holder striking the airline workers as other people looked on. The footage showed that no one intervened before the police eventually detained him.
The case took a turn when the man, whose identity was not released, was taken to a court in Hulhumalé, an island near the airport, rather than being charged before a criminal court in Malé, the capital island.
That decision drew objections from the public, with critics arguing that the airport incident should have been handled by the criminal court. The criminal court later issued a statement saying the American had not been brought before its judges.
After the man was produced in the Hulhumalé court on Tuesday, a magistrate ordered his release on undisclosed conditions, the police said, declining to provide further details.
Officials from the company that operates the airport, Maldives Airports Company Limited, did not respond to requests for comment about the episode.
