Political Advisor to the President, Ahmed ‘Topi’ Thaufeeg, has today said that the government does not have the authority to prosecute former President Mohamed Nasheed.
Thaufeeq told Sun Online that, owing to the separation of powers enshrined in the constitution, only the Prosecutor General (PG) could pursue charges against Nasheed.
However, Thaufeeg told Sun Online that it was the responsibility of the PG to pursue anyone guilty of a crime.
“The government has no influence over this. When the relevant institutions complete their investigations and submit cases to the PG, the PG will file those cases to Court. It does not matter whether it is Nasheed or anyone else,” Thaufeeg is reported to have said.
The response follows the Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) resolution to protest the government over its move to prosecute Nasheed.
After Nasheed yesterday claimed the judiciary was heavily politicised, Thaufeeg told Sun that the institution was strong and was constitutionally protected from political influence.
