Criminal Court has on Wednesday nullified bribery charges raised against Former Supreme Court Chief of Justice Abdulla Saeed, Justice Ali Hameed as well as former Judicial Administrator Hassan Saeed.
The court nullified the charges against the ex-justices and ex-administrator at a hearing held on Wednesday afternoon.
Speaking to RaajjeMV, Justice Saeed’s legal representative Hisaan Hussain revealed that the presiding judge, Ahmed Hailam had nullified the charges due to lack of evidence against them.
“Till date, state has not presented any kind of evidence against the three. As such, they cannot continue this case” said Hisaan.
Although the charges against the justices have been nullified, they will not be released from incarceration as they have been incarcerated after having been found guilty for three separate charges, and are doing time for a sentence extending three years.
In July, Administrator Saeed was sentenced to a total of four months and 24 days in prison after the Criminal Court found him guilty of hiding from the police as they sought to arrest him.
Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed, and Justice Ali Hameed and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom were sentenced to one year, seven months, and six days for obstruction of justice, in June.
While bribery charges against the three have been nullified, the court on Wednesday nullified bribery charges raised against business tycoon Qasim Ibrahim’s son and Villa Company’s Managing Director Siyad Qasim as well.
Since the opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s election win, opposition leader Qasim Ibrahim as well as Gayoom, have been released from incarceration, on bail. While several political prisoners are being released, former President Mohamed Nasheed, who has been living in self-exile in the United Kingdom since his prison conviction, is scheduled to return to Maldives on the 01st of November. Other self-exiled prominent political figures have also returned to the Maldives following Solih’s win.
