Committee passes to impeach PG Bisham
PG Bisham was summoned to the committee on July 22, for questioning over the various allegations against her
PG Aishath Bisham
Parliament’s judiciary committee has decided to remove Prosecutor General Aishath Bisham.
The decision was reached at a committee meeting on Wednesday, after a proposal by Fonadhoo constituency MP Moosa Siraj. Villingilli constituency MP Saud Hussain endorsed the proposal.
The PG was summoned to the committee on July 22, for questioning over the various allegations against her including whether the previous administration had influenced the office’s work in any capacity.
Bisham denied this, noting that neither then President Abdulla Yameen nor anyone else had requested her to proceed with cases in a particular way. She added that all her decisions were made “independently and without bias.”
While the committee has decided to impeach the PG, Speaker Mohamed Nasheed has been notified on the matter, as per the new parliament regulations.
The clause states that any impeachment motions must be forwarded to the relevant committee for further review, and is to compile a report based on their observations. The parliament will then deliberate on the issue, before heading to a vote.
Aishath Bisham, the first female prosecutor general of the country, was appointed to the post in November 2015, by former President Abdulla Yameen. She had previously served as a legal affairs secretary at the president’s office, as well as the special advisor to the president.
