The parliament on Wednesday voted to dismiss Judge Abdulla Didi from his position on Supreme Court's bench, citing confirmation of disciplinary issues.
Per the Constitution, a judge can only be sacked by the majority vote of two-thirds of parliament, based on a submission filed by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). As the parliament currently consists of 87 seats, a minimum of 58 votes are required for a judge's dismissal.
Didi, who formerly also served on Criminal Court and High Court's bench, was dismissed by a majority vote of 72 amongst the 73 members present during the session. One member was reported to have abstained from the vote.
This is the first time that an apex court judge was dismissed by parliament following an investigation by the JSC.
JSC and the parliament's Judiciary Committee both concluded on dismissing Abdulla Didi after probing disciplinary matters against him.
Allegations against Didi include accepting bribes to rule in favour of a suspect in the prominent money laundering case of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) which cost the state over MVR 1.3 billion.
Didi denies accepting any bribes or being involved in any criminal activities.
However, debating over the report prepared by the corruption watchdog following Didi's investigation, MPs argued that the interactions Didi had via phone alone was enough for the public to lose trust in him, adding that he was not qualified to preside as a judge.
Didi was appointed as a Judge at the top court on June 27. Having served as a judge in Criminal Court, he was appointed to the High Court bench in 2015.
Sign In