A financial transaction is being prosecuted by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) involving Criminal Court Chief Judge Ahmed Hailam and former Feydhoo MP Alhan Fahmy.
During it’s sitting on Wednesday, the committee came to the decision. A statement released after the sitting revealed that police had informed the commission of Alhan Fahmy’s MVR 200,000 transaction that entered Judge Hailam’s account.
Due to its highly serious nature, the judicial watchdog is investigating the transaction, JSC said. Although the transaction took place on May 19 this year, the police told JSC on Tuesday about the transaction. The Maldives Monetary Authority, the Central Bank notified the police about the trade on July 25. JSC expressed concern that the details had not been exchanged with the commission until now.
JSC also claimed that they do not believe that the police have taken appropriate action on the matter and will, therefore, request Parliament, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and the Commission for National Integrity to probe the suspected neglect.
The new issue concerning Judge Hailam came to light as the judge was suspended on Tuesday by the commission for a greeting from the judge on Victory Day. The cartoon illustration exchanged with the Viber group of the recreational club of the Criminal Court portrayed President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Speaker Mohamed Nasheed handcuffed and being dragged in chains behind the perpetrators of the November 3,1988 attacks by the fallen hero of the attack, Martyr Hussain Adam.
Although Judge Hailam apologised for his conduct, saying he was unaware of the fact that the President and the Speaker had been represented on the illustration, Hailam was suspended just hours ahead of the money laundering trial of Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyom during which he was expected to render a judgment. Following the new development, the trial was postponed, leaving the country to question how the case will proceed.
In the meantime, Alhan Fahmy confirmed that he had paid MVR 200,000 to Judge Hailam and stated that in the future he would continue to conduct transactions with Hailam, challenging that no action could be taken to stop his actions. There was no explanation given as to what the funds were for.
