Judicial Service Commission (JSC), on Sunday, implemented a 60-day suspension on Ismail Rasheed, the presiding Criminal Court judge over former vice president Ahmed Adeeb's case.
On July 14, the Criminal Court decided to drop all seven charges against Adeeb concerning the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) embezzlement case worth over MVR 1.3 billion.
Disclosing that the judge was suspended over an ongoing disciplinary issue, JSC stated that the two-month suspension was imposed with considering to the nature of the case, the evidence submitted, potential impediments to the investigation as well as to maintain trust into the judicial system.
The judicial watchdog revealed that specifics concerning the disciplinary issue would be publicized following the conclusion of the investigation.
The Criminal Court decided against pursuing Adeeb's charges on the basis that the state had "wrongfully" entered a confessional agreement with the former VP.
Adeeb claimed that he had signed the agreement in July 2020 in order to attain permission to go abroad for medical treatment.
Judge Rasheed stated that every detainee had the right to medical care and asserted that demanding a confession for certain crimes in return for medical treatment could be considered an act of torture.
In addition to noting that the acceptance of confessions acquired through coercion was forbidden as per the constitution, the judge also added that there was no guarantee that the police re-investigated the MMPRC case exempt from influence. He further stated that the government had pressed charges against Adeeb after the statute of limitations listed in the Criminal Procedure Code had passed.
The Prosecutor General has appealed the Criminal Court's decision at the High Court, asserting that the verdict was in violation of the Criminal Procedure Act.
According to Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem asserted that, given the documentary evidence gathered against Adeeb, PG Office could potentially charge the former vice president with over 150 separate charges that could land him over 800 years in prison.
On July 15, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)'s parliamentary representative for Male' City's Henveiru South constituency Hassan Latheef submitted a motion to parliament, stating that the court's decision concerning Adeeb was reached in violation of standard procedures.
MP Latheef stated that allegations of corruption, bribery and undue influence were involved in Adeeb's case.
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