Judicial Service Commission has concluded to suspend Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed on allegations of plotting a coup against government.
The commission made the decision following their assessment of evidence produced by authorities against Chief Justice, who will remain in suspension until the case is entirely concluded. Saeed has been relieved from his responsibilities for the duration of police probing.
The island nation has been embroiled in fresh political turmoil after the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the immediate release of jailed political leaders including self-exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed.
President Abdulla Yameen declared state of emergency on Monday night as a last ditch effort to gain control of the volatile political situation in Maldives, by suspending several constitutional rights. It was also done in hopes of bringing top court's Chief Justice and Judge Ali Hameed into police custody for questioning.
Under the emergency state Yameen had originally suspended as many as 20 constitutional rights for the duration along with the criminal procedure Act and several articles of the judicature Act. However, earlier Tuesday he had amended the declaration to all but suspend Article 48 of the constitution which specifies the rights on arrest or detention.
Less than a day after the arrest of the two judges, the remaining three judges rescinded its ruling to release the political leaders referring to the concerns raised by president Yameen in the letters he had sent to the chief justice hours before state of emergency was declared.
The move comes after president Yameen had accused that the chief justice had been bribed to issue the court order in a bid to overthrow the government.
The move comes after president Yameen had accused that the chief justice had been bribed to issue the court order in a bid to overthrow the government.
"I had to declare a national emergency because there was no other way to investigate these judges. We had to first suspend their authority and immunities. Because we had to find out how thick the plot or coup is," president Yameen said in his address to the nation on live television.
However lawyers of Chief Justice claimed the allegations made on Saeed are baseless and was not backed with substantial evidence, adding that he had denied it
Instead, lawyers' statement had accused the government ostensibly removing Chief Justice for political motives and personal advantages for the state heads.
Chief Justice had ordered a 15-day jail sentence on the officers responsible for forcibly breaking into court premises, firing a contempt of court ruling on them.
Embattled president Abdulla Yameen on Tuesday leveled serious allegations against the Supreme Court, accusing the now jailed chief justice of plot to overthrow the government.
President Yameen said the chief justice had initiated deliberations with the top court bench to remove the Attorney General from office. The top judge had also wanted to reinstate former police chief Ahmed Areef and his successor Ahmed Saudhee after both were sacked shortly after the court order, president revealed.
According to the president, chief justice had also pushed the bench to hear a case for his impeachment which had failed after the rest of the judges refused.
"The constitution clearly states how a president can be impeached. The Supreme court has no authority to do so. It also has no jurisdiction to reinstate the police chief. But when the chief justice were pushing for these things beyond his mandate or jurisdiction, we had to take it seriously. We had to find out why," president Yameen explained.
President said he had no option other than to declare a national emergency as the "entire judiciary" had been compromised.
"We needed to find out if there was any link between the sudden change in the mentality of the chief justice and his new found riches. No one is above the law. Not even judges. I had no other choice. No other way to save the nation," he alleged.
President also revealed that police have now made "major headway" into the investigation which he said would be revealed to the public soon.
Meanwhile Maldives top court late Wednesday warned that anyone criticizing its decision to rescind the order releasing jailed political leaders would face contempt of court proceedings.
