Judicial watchdog to investigate chief justice

The judicial watchdog has decided to launch probes into complaints against the chief justice and two other Supreme Court justices.

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) said the probes were launched against Chief Justice Dr Ahmed Abdulla Didi and justices Abdulla Areef and Adam Mohamed Abdulla.

Areef is the Supreme Court’s appointee to the JSC and serves as the commission’s president.

The JSC refused to reveal details of the investigation or the complaint.

The three justices were involved in the landmark February 2018 Supreme Court ruling that sought to free all political prisoners held under former president Abdulla Yameen’s regime. Yameen reacted by declaring a state of emergency and suspending constitutional rights before security forces stormed the Supreme Court to arrest former chief justice Abdulla Saeed and former justice Ali Hameed.

Following the arrests, the ruling issued by the full Supreme Court bench was rescinded by the three remaining justices.

Meanwhile, a JSC committee that is investigating suspended Supreme Court Justice Abdulla Didi recommended his dismissal to the commission on Tuesday. The 10-member JSC is yet to vote on the matter, which if passed, will be forwarded to parliament to begin impeachment proceedings.

Didi is accused of regularly taking bribes, releasing criminal suspects in return for favours and seeking government job opportunities for members of his family, including his wife, the former deputy ambassador to Malaysia. 

He is also suspected of taking a US$1 million bribe to sentence former president Mohamed Nasheed to 13 years in jail.