JSC suspends judge who ruled to drop charges against former VP
Judge Rasheed has been suspended for 60 days
Judge Ismail Rasheed
Criminal Court Judge Ismail Rasheed, who presided Tuesday’s hearing against former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb and ruled to drop the seven charges against him, has been suspended.
The Judicial Service Commission (JSC), in a statement issued on Sunday evening, revealed that Judge Rasheed has been suspended for a 60-day period.
The commission is investigating a misconduct allegation against Rasheed, submitted by the prosecutor general.
He was suspended under Article 25 of the Judicial Service Commission Act.
Details of the investigation against Judge Rasheed are to publicized once completed.
While the Criminal Court dropped all seven charges against the former VP on Tuesday, Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem heavily criticized the presiding judge at a press conference held later that day.
At the press conference, the PG had revealed intention to file a case against Rasheed at the Judicial Service Commission.
The charges against the former VP were rejected on the grounds that a plea deal signed between him and the stated ‘was entered wrongfully’. However, PG Shameem denied this, and stressed that Adeeb had not made such a claim at any point in the trial.
JSC has since formed a committee to look into the allegations against the judge.
The seven charges that were raised against Adeeb were; two cases of involvement in corruption, two cases of using his position to gain undue benefits, two charges of money-laundering as well as an abuse of power charge.
