Leaked secret testimonies: ACC chief warned judge not to cross President Yameen

It has been revealed that Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) President Ahmed Luthufee had warned Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed and Department of Judicial Administration (DJA) chief Hassan Saeed not to cross President Abdulla Yameen.

It was revealed in the leaked secret testimonies that ACC President Luthufee told the police he had given the warning after the Supreme Court released the order on February 1 to release political prisoners and reinstate opposition MPs to parliament.

A number of secret testimonies of the police investigation regarding the court order has recently been leaked.

One the documents shows that Luthufee told Justice Hameed and Administration Saeed not to try to do anything against the government. Luthufee also said that Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Justice Ali Hameed had made transactions for luxury apartment buildings and that they had reserved one of the apartments for Luthufee without his knowledge. Luthufee said he questioned the means by which the justices received the money to pay for the apartments in Malaysia and that later his friend told him that a businessman was paying for it.

In the testimony, Luthufee said he was watching “Padmaavat” at Schwack Cinema in Hulhumale’ when he found out about the Supreme Court order. He said his subsequent messages and calls to Justice Hameed and Administrator Saeed went unanswered.

Luthufee also said that while he had gone to dinner with the two numerous times, they had never discussed the impending Supreme Court order. Luthufee said he was worried that people might think he was involved in it.

Luthufee said that he felt Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed was a patriotic and religious man and so was surprised by his behavior. He might have been pressured into giving the court order, Luthufee added. However, Luthufee also said Justice Hameed is the type to behave in that manner.

In the testimony, Luthufee said that on February 1, Justice Hameed had called him later in the day and told him that “his people” had brought in the administration and went on to boast about the different government development projects such as the airport, the bridge, and the 40 harbors of the current administration.

The testimony ended with Luthufee saying that he warning Justice Hameed and Administrator Saeed to “know who President Abdulla Yameen is” and not to cross him.