Hearings in Gayoom, Saeed and Hameed's obstruction case scheduled for Sunday

A hearing in the obstruction trials of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Justice Ali Hameed has been scheduled for Sunday night.

The hearing is scheduled to begin at 09:30 p.m on Sunday at the criminal court over the charges raised against the trio for obstruction of justice.

Some hearings in the obstruction case have been held after sundown during Ramadan thus far.

A total of nine individuals including Gayoom, Saeed and Hameed face charges of terrorism for their alleged involvement in a coup to overthrow a legally established government as well as several other charges.

Criminal Court Chief Judge Ahmed Hailam, who was appointed as a judge at the court in January, who previously held the post of state attorney at the Prosecutor General’s office is presiding over the terror trials of the trio.

While the obstruction trial against the trio has been scheduled for Sunday night, the presiding judge over this case is recently appointed judge at the Criminal Court, Hassan Najeeb who is a close associate of High Court Judge Sujau Usman.

Gayoom, Saeed and Hameed were charged with obstruction of justice for their refusal to hand over their mobile phone to the Maldives Police Service (MPS) after being ordered to do so following their arrest after a nationwide state of emergency was declared.

The trials for several other allegations against the trio are proceeding at the Criminal Court as well.

Saeed and Hameed are already doing time of one year, two months and 12 days in prison for influencing the conduct of a public official.

Saeed is also convicted of interfering with the functions of the government and sentenced to four months and 24 days in incarceration for allegedly blocking the Supreme Court from receiving letter addressed to it, by ordering the cessation of the state’s Government E-Letter Managemet System (GEMS).