Court has set a 15 day remand period for the 19 expatriate workers who were arrested during confrontations yesterday, in Baa Atoll Bodufinolhu which is being developed into a resort.

Maldives Police Service said that upon being presented to the Eydhafushi Magistrate Court for a remand hearing, the court had set 15 days for the remand in a place decided by the Home Ministry. During this period, further investigation into the case must be conducted by the Police.

These 19 workers were actively participating in the confrontations that erupted in the island last Thursday. They were handcuffed while being transported to Thulhadhoo yesterday and were presented to the Eydhafushi Magistrate Court yesterday.

Workers from the island say that the confrontations erupted after several months of unpaid wages. In their anger, they had also taken 13 Maldivians who were in the island as hostages. They had also damaged several items in the island including the accommodation and office blocks as well as the machinery.

A statement released by police noted that upon learning about the confrontations at the island, officers from Thulhadhoo Police Station had first gone to the island. However after the workers refused to cooperate, they had returned on Thursday night with additional police officers where they were met with even more anger including attacks where they had thrown metal rods and rocks at police.

Police further noted that one of their officers suffered serious injuries to the head and was rushed to the Regional Hospital while several others suffered various injuries.