Gayoom and Justices' trial: Hearing postponed to Wednesday

Tuesday’s hearing on former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and Justice Ali Hameed has been postponed to Wednesday.

The Criminal Court had initially announced the hearing regarding the state’s obstruction of justice charges for 11pm but cancelled it two and a half hours later after journalists and the family of the accused arrived at the court.

A court official said that they began by signing court documents but cancelled the hearing because it was taking too long. The hearing has now been re-scheduled to 11am, Wednesday.

At the last hearing on Sunday night, the presiding Judge decided not to accept witness statements from the defense. Judge Hassan Najeeb said that he made the decision after hearing witness statements presented by the state.

At the hearing, the state presented two police officers against Chief Justice Saeed, two against Gayoom, and a secret witness against Hameed.

Giving their testimonies, officers Ismail Wildhan and Mohamed Samih, who were involved in the justices’ arrests, said that after their arrest at the Supreme Court building, the justices had refused to hand over their phones and that the police failed to find the phones inside building.

Officers Mohamed Latheef and Hussain Azmeel, who were involved in Gayoom’s arrest, said that after taking him into police custody, Gayoom had said that he did not have the phone on him and asked that they check if it’s with his daughter or wife. The officers said that neither had his phone and a search inside his home failed to turn it up.

The secret witness said that he had met Hameed on various occasions and spoke to him on the phone but that Hameed had not given the witness anything related to the case.

Gayoom noted the use of secret testimonies is not permitted in the religion.