Judicial Service Commission (JSC)) is probing a financial transaction between Chief judge of the Criminal Court Ahmed Hailam and former Feydhoo MP Alhan Fahmy.
The commission came to the decision during its sitting held Wednesday. A statement released following the sitting disclosed that the commission had been informed by the police of a MVR 200,000 transaction from Alhan Fahmy that entered the account of Judge Hailam.
The judicial watchdog is pursing investigation into the transaction due to its serious nature, said JSC. While the transaction took place on May 19 this year, JSC was informed of the transaction by the Police on Tuesday. Central bank Maldives Monetary Authority tipped off the police regarding the transaction on July 25. JSC has voiced concern that the information was not shared with the commission until now.
JSC further said they do not believe the police had taken adequate action on the matter, and therefore will be requesting the Parliament, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and the National Integrity Commission to probe the alleged negligence.
The new matter concerning Judge Hailam has come to light while the judge was suspended by the commission on Tuesday over a Victory Day greeting sent by the judge. The cartoon illustration shared to the Criminal Court's recreation club's Viber group depicted 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.
While Judge Hailam has apologized for his action and claimed that he was not aware the president and the speaker were illustrated on the drawing, Hailam was suspended mere hours ahead of former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyom's money laundering trial during which he was set to deliver a verdict. The hearing was cancelled following the new development, leaving the country to wonder how the case would proceed further.
Meanwhile, Alhan Fahmy has confirmed that he paid MVR 200,000 to Judge Hailam, and have stated that he would continue to carry out transactions with Hailam in the future, challenging that no action can taken to stop his actions. No explanations were offered been offered regarding what the funds were for.
