The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) decided to launch an additional probe into suspended Criminal Court Chief Judge Ahmed Hailam over reports of him receiving funds from former lawmaker, Alhan Fahmy.

JSC via a statement on Wednesday, revealed that the suspended judge made transactions with the former lawmaker on 19 May 2019, of MVR 200,000.

This was revealed via a Maldives Police Service (MPS) letter addressed to the commission, seeking an additional probe against him over the serious issue.

The matter had been brought to the institute’s attention by the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) in July 2019, however, it had not reached out to the commission regarding the case and neither had it taken any action against Hailam when the issue first surfaced.

As such, the commission has since decided to forward the case to the People’s Majlis, the National Integrity Commission (NIC) and President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih for investigations.

Hailam was suspended for a period of 60 days on 5 November, following JSC’s investigations into a Victory Day message the judge had shared with a Viber group, which was leaked on social media.

JSC revealed that Hailam refused to turn up after a summon by the commission for questioning regarding the disrespectful message, for which Hailam has since apologized to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Parliament Speaker and Former President Mohamed Nasheed, who are portrayed in the image shared, as cartoon figures, chained and being pulled by Victory Day martyr Corporal Hussain Adam along with several others.

In a letter addressed to the commission, Hailam stated that he had made the matter clear via a statement on Monday and that he does not believe he should share more details regarding it, with the commission. JSC suspended the judge after deeming the reason he gave, inexcusable.

In his apology, Hailam asserted that he was “not aware” Nasheed or the President was portrayed in the image shared, and maintained that he had only shared it after seeing Abdulla Luthufee, the mastermind behind the 1988 coup, at the front of the line.

Also in his message, Hailam denied ever having used his position to gain undue benefits.

Following his suspension, the verdict hearing in former President Abdulla Yameen’s money-laundering trial was also cancelled. JSC added that it believes if Hailam were to preside over former’s case, it will obstruct the judicial proceeding of the case. The judge is accused of having received bribe money to issue a verdict in the defendant’s favor.

At a meeting on Wednesday, JSC also decided to appoint Civil Court Judge Lathif Hilmy and Hussain Mazeed to the vacated seats on the High Court bench.