'No court has authority to probe cases', says MP Ali Hussain

Kendhoo constituency MP Ali Hussain has aimed criticism at the local judiciary for what he describes to be its collective involvement in the investigatory process of prosecution.

In his speech at an opposition gathering in capital city Malé on Monday, the parliamentarian said that local courts have been making decisions that are conventionally made by institutions charged with investigating cases.

Hussain said this in reference to the Criminal Court summoning of lawyer Hisaan Hussain over comments she made in an interview to a local news organization.

The lawmaker questioned as to how summoning an individual over a matter that has not been put forth as a criminal case by prosecutors is being pursued by the court, and if said court of law has authority to do so at all.

“Lawer Hisaan was summoned in court today. All they wanted to do was question her about comments she made in an interview, and to clear up the matter. I do not know when the court was vested with authority to do so” the lawmaker said.

MP Hussain further maintained that the ‘Criminal Court has no authority whatsoever to probe and investigate cases and this is clearly a move to intimidate Hisaan’.

Hisaan, who has been representing a number of political detainees and is immensely vocal about key issues within Maldives’ contentious judicial system, has yet to comment on her reported summoning. The lawyer is also representing 12 lawmakers who are facing en masse prosecution on allegations of obstructing law enforcement, on which a hearing has been set for Tuesday.

RaajjeMV understands that she was summoned for 10am on Monday and that she was questioned over matters pertaining to the state’s criminal allegations of ‘obstructing the conduct of a public official’ against detained Supreme Court justices Abdulla Saeed and Ali Hameed.