The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has launched an investigation into claims of political involvement in leaked audio recordings of three judges from the five-judge Criminal Court bench that convicted former President Yameen Abdul Gayoom of money laundering in 2019.
The judges claimed in allegedly leaked audio recordings that the incumbent government influenced the outcome of Yameen’s money laundering trial, which has yet to be substantiated.
Following an emergency meeting on Monday, the JSC appointed a committee to investigate the situation involving the leaked audio clips, according to a news release.
In addition, the commission noted that it is seeking to clarify information from the judges involved in the leaked audio recordings.
According to the leaked audio recordings, Judge Hussain Faiz is heard saying that the judges were held “hostage” during the trial, while Judge Ali Adam claimed that he had no idea what was on the verdict when he consented to it.
Yameen’s trial was originally scheduled to be heard by then-chief judge Ahmed Haleem, but he was suspended at the last minute, and the case was handed to a five-judge panel.
The five judges on the bench were Judge Hussain Faiz Rashad, Judge Ali Rasheed Hussain, Judge Mohamed Sameer, Judge Ahmed Shakeel, and Judge Ali Adam. Ali Rasheed Hussain was later appointed to the Supreme Court bench on September 8, 2020.
On November 28, 2019, Yameen was found guilty of laundering USD 1 million from the sale of GA. Vodamula by the Criminal Court. He swiftly filed an appeal with the High Court, which upheld the original sentence on January 21, 2021.
The country’s highest court agreed to hear the former president’s appeal against his five-year prison sentence and a USD 5 million fine, which he filed in April.
The Supreme Court has scheduled the first hearing for the appeal case for September 12 at 9:00 a.m., followed by the second hearing on September 13.
