Criminal court chief judge transferred to juvenile court

The judicial watchdog has abruptly transferred the criminal court’s chief judge, Abdul Bari Yousuf, to the juvenile court for undisclosed reasons.

Judge Ahmed Shakeel was also transferred from the criminal court to the family court. The transfers were made at the request of the Supreme Court, the Judicial Service Commission said in a statement issued late on Monday night.

“The Supreme Court did not specify why they wanted the judges to be transferred. The request did not elaborate it,”  JSC spokesman Hassan Zaheen told the Maldives Independent.

Opposition figures have alleged that the transfers were prompted by the criminal court’s decision to throw out bribery charges raised against Jumhooree Party leader Gasim Ibrahim last night.