Criminal court staff suspected of leaking secret statements

A criminal court staff is suspected of leaking secret statements from witnesses in the upcoming terrorism trials of top judges and politicians.

Judges Ibrahim Ali and Adam Arif told staff during a pre-Ramadan gathering Tuesday morning that the leak came from the court and warned that the whistleblower will be identified and punished, VFP and Raajje TV reported, citing sources present at the meeting.

According to the anonymous sources, police have been questioning staff over the leaks after checking all the computers at the court.

Police spokesman Ahmed Shifan previously alleged that “influential suspects” were behind the leak, accusing them of “using their power to influence the ongoing trials”.

The leaked statements were taken for the investigation that followed a Supreme Court order for the release of President Abdulla Yameen’s jailed opponents ahead of elections in September. The government contends the February 1 order triggered a constitutional crisis and set in motion a failed coup attempt.

Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom along with seven others were charged with terrorism over the alleged plot to overthrow the government.

The high-profile detainees deny all charges, including alleged bribery and obstruction of justice.

The statements and an intelligence report included testimonies from a former aide of Gayoom, three senior police officers and two judges.

The judges have come under fire over admissions of issuing verdicts as allegedly instructed by the jailed Supreme Court justices.

One of the secret witnesses have since retracted his statement and informed the criminal court and police that he was no longer willing to testify.