The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has suspended Criminal Court Judge Hussain Faiz Rashaad in connection with an ongoing investigation, raising further questions about judicial accountability and oversight.

RaajjeMV understands that the suspension was enforced on Wednesday. While JSC has yet to reveal the reason behind the decision, sources indicate that it may be linked to Judge Faiz’s controversial ruling to release a suspect in a major drug trafficking case. JSC has not officially confirmed this connection.

The suspect in question, 41-year-old Ali Anwar Mohamed from Hithadhoo district of Addu City, was released on October 18 after Judge Faiz cited procedural errors in the police investigation. Following his release, Anwar reportedly traveled to Sri Lanka, where he was deported and later re-arrested upon his return to the Maldives under a new court order.

Judge Faiz currently presides over several high-profile cases, including the trial of Haleemath Lamha, accused of murdering Filipino nurse Mary Grace at IGMH. His sudden suspension has raised concerns about potential disruptions to ongoing proceedings at the Criminal Court.

This marks the second time Judge Faiz has been suspended by JSC. He was previously suspended in November 2021 after an audio recording surfaced suggesting that the judges who convicted former President Abdulla Yameen were “held hostage.” That suspension lasted 60 days before being lifted prematurely by the Commission.

JSC has stated that further details regarding the current suspension of Judge Faiz, who serves as a senior judge at the Criminal Court, will be disclosed when available. However, the lack of transparency surrounding both the grounds for his suspension and the internal proceedings has once again underscored the opacity and inconsistency that continue to undermine confidence in the judiciary’s integrity.