MVR 38 mln found in house linked to Judge Ali Hameed, police reveal

Over MVR 38 million was found in a house connected to Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed, who was recently charged with terrorism and conspiring to overthrow the government, Maldives Police Service has revealed.

Chief Superintendent Ahmed Shifaan said at a press conference held Sunday that a total of MVR 38 million was found in Maldivian Rufiyaa, British Pounds and US Dollars, during the police raid on a house linked to the judge, on February 6.

The police also presented the press with pictures of the crime scene, which showed a black bag alongside large sums of cash.

After its initial investigation early February, the police had claimed that MVR 3.4 million was uncovered from a bag that matched the description of the bag shown in the pictures.

Judge Ali Hameed was also charged with accepting bribes and obstructing justice.

Meanwhile, Chief Justice Abdullah Saeed, who was also arrested with Judge Hameed from the premises of the Supreme Court on February 5, has been charged with attempting to orchestrate an act of terrorism, accepting bribes, obstructing justice, as well as obstructing government functions. The police had claimed that Judge Saeed accepted USD 2.4 million in bribes to aid in a coup plot.

The two top justices have since been remanded until the end of their trials.

During Sunday’s press conference, Chief Superintendent Shifaan revealed that the police had been investigating an alleged coup plot against incumbent President Abdulla Yameen, orchestrated by his half-brother and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom, since January 11. He said that the police have enough evidence to prove that some judges and government officials were bribed to carry out this plan.

According to the police, besides Gayyoom, the masterminds behind the alleged plot to overthrow the government are; the lawmakers who defected from the ruling party Dhangethi MP Ilham Ahmed and Machangoalhi-South MP Abdullah Sinan, Jumhoory Party’s deputy leader and Kinbidhoo MP Abdullah Riyaz, Gayyoom’s son and Dhiggaru MP Faris Maumoon and Gayyoom’s son-in-law Mohamed Nadheem.