New judge to preside over cases of Supreme Court justices

A new judge has taken over the case of obstruction charges raised against former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Justice Ali Hameed.

Judge Adam Arif had been presiding over the case up until it's handover to newly appointed Judge Hassan Najeeb.

When defense attorneys had questioned the matter at the preliminary hearing held on Tuesday, Judge Najeeb had said that the case was handed over to him due to the brimming workload on Judge Arif to which the judges had responded that the situation does not call for a change in the presiding judge under the criminal procedure act.

According to article 152 of the criminal procedure act, a presiding judge can be changed if a case arises where the judge falls ill or dies while his/her case is still ongoing, if the judge's tenure comes to an end or if a situation arises that the judge will no longer be able to continue the case.

The case of SC justices has been taken from Judge Arif amid a leak of the series of testimonies, among which included his testimony in court where he confessed to having issued orders after being instructed to do so by Chief Justice Saeed and Justice Hameed. In his confession Arid had said that he had received a phone call from Hassan Saeed Hussain who is the Administrator at the Department of Judicial Administration (DJA), on the night the initial SC ruling was issued, he was instructed to stay at court as the SC justices were in a meeting. Arif had said that he had however chose to go home instead where he learnt of the SC ruling through the news.

Following the leaked testimonies, many had speculated on the matter and criticized Arif presiding over any case of charges raised against the two justices.