Didi gives up diplomatic passport; yet to return to Maldives

Maldives Immigration has revoked suspended Supreme Court Justice Abdulla Didi’s diplomatic passport, following a request from him.

While the Judicial service Commission (JSC) continues to probe numerous allegations against, Didi traveled to Malaysia on June 28 after receiving the required approval from the commission.

Immigration’s media officer told RaajjeMV that those that own both diplomatic and ordinary passports “have the option to use both, as well as to relinquish the diplomatic one.”

While an individual can only use one of them at a time, the Immigration official said that Didi’s diplomatic passport was cancelled “as per his own request.”

However, the suspended justice’s return date is unclear.

While JSC received complaints of obstructing judicial power and of acting unconstitutionally against Didi, it had formed a sub-committee to investigate the complaints.

The sub-committee has since concluded the probe and submitted its report to the commission, recommending to impeach Didi. He has been given a 30-day period to send in a response to the allegations, which is to expire of the 26th of this month.

JSC Director Hassan Zaheen said that a decision on whether to impeach Didi will be made after this period ends.

Didi is alleged to have taken a USD one million bribe in 2015 to sentence former President Mohamed Nasheed to 13 years in jail. He has also been accused of using his position as a top court judge to gain undue influence over others.

While JSC decided to suspend him in June, the Supreme Court has issued a stay order in the case.

Despite this, JSC decided to proceed with the investigation into the five misconduct allegations against Didi. He asked for the investigative meeting to be held in public. The commission has since begun investigating a sixth complaint against him.

According to a letter read out at this meeting held on June 20, police’s top suspect -Suspect One- in the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) graft case had testified to having given bribes to various judges, including Didi, to alter the rulings in cases involving politicians.

A 'Witness One' is to have testified to having delivered the money to Didi, and had kept details of these transactions on his phone. Two of his phones have since been handed over to the police, who is to have extracted the information through a forensic analysis.

In addition, it noted that Suspect One had approached Didi, after interactions with a known criminal, seeking to release suspects arrested in the abduction of journalist Ahmed Rilwan.

The police noted that Didi had released Mohamed Suaid after this exchange, and facilitated the release of Abdulla Haisham.

In return for these, Didi is to have sought employment for family members including post of deputy ambassador to Malaysia, from Suspect One.

Police further added that evidence and testimonies in the investigation shows that Didi and Suspect One are close acquaintances.