Lawyers representing Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Abdulla Saeed, have stated that he has now been accused of hiding evidence.
Saeed, who was arrested soon after the declaration of state of emergency, was accused of accepting bribes and planning a coup. His lawyer, Hisaan Hussain, tweeted saying that he has now been accused of hiding evidence. Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom, who was arrested on the same night, was accused of hiding evidence as well.
Police claimed that Saeed had received an "aid" of USD 2.4 million from a major company of the Maldives and that he had tried to purchase expensive properties abroad with the money. They also stated that SC Judge Ali Hameed, also arrested the same night under accusations of bribery and attempted coup, received a loan of UDS 2.4 millon from a major Maldivian company. In addition, MVR 3.4 million was found in a bag belonging to Ali Hameed.
Police claimed that they have documents as evidence of the judges buying large amounts of goods and costly apartments.
Maldivian ambassador to the United Nations and Belgium, Ahmed Shiyaan, called on other countries to aid in the investigations against the two top court judges. Shiyaan stated that the nations must aid the Maldives to find out the expenditures of both Abdulla Saeed and Ali Hameed.
In addition to the SC judges and Gayoom, several political figures and citizens have been arrested in relation to the alleged coup against the government.
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