News

Gayoom, top court judges deny 'folktale' charges

Jailed Supreme Court judge Ali Hameed on Wednesday denied obstruction of justice charges over his refusal to handover his mobile phone to the police after describing the charges as a "folktale."

Chief justice Abdulla Saeed along with top court judge Ali Hameed and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom are facing four separate charges which includes terrorism after being accused in the plot to overthrow the government.

The island nation has been embroiled in fresh political turmoil after the Supreme Court on February 1 ordered the immediate release of jailed political leaders including self-exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed.

President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom on February 5 had declared state of emergency after his last ditch attempt to convince the top court to revoke the order failed, purged the Supreme Court by arresting two judges and the remaining political leaders and ultimately had the order revoked.

Less than a day after the arrest of the two judges, the remaining three judges rescinded its ruling to release the political leaders referring to the concerns raised by president Yameen in the letters he had sent to the chief justice hours before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.

In addition to the terrorism charge, the top court judges who remain in custody under the state of emergency have also been charged with abuse of power to influence lower court judges.

During the hearing on Wednesday, the top court judge was asked to respond to the charges but his lawyer insisted that the charges were not clear.

The defence said the "obscure" nature of the charges was unconstitutional and in clear violation of Islamic Shariah.

The prosecution explained that the phone was allegedly used to commit a crime which made Ali Hameed's refusal to handover the phone obstruction of justice.

After several attempts to explain the charges by the prosecution, judge Hameed said he now understood the charges and immediately denied them.

Both Gayoom and chief justice Saeed had also denied the charges.