I have kept silence under instruction from Councilor General: Majlis President

Honorable Abdullah Shahid, President of the People’s Majlis, said today that he has refrained from making any comments on the ongoing crisis, following the enforced disappearance of Criminal Court Chief Judge Al-Ustadh Abdullah Muhammad, under instruction from Majlis Councilor General.

The Maldivian Military abducted Chief Judge Abdullah on the 16th of this January, without giving any legal basis for the decision, following the orders of President Nasheed’s administration.

Members of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) were today summoned by the Committee on Independent Institutions at the People’s Majlis for questioning in relation to the complaints filed at the Commission against Chief Judge Abdullah. When asked by Committee Member Ahmed Hamzaa, MP for Biledhdhoo Constituency, about what Shahid had done to solve the problems arising from the abduction of Chief Judge, Shahid said that he did not want to comment on the issue as two other issues were being deliberated in two other Committees of the Majlis. He did not give details about those issues or the committees in which they were being discussed.

“I have kept silence as advised by Majlis Councilor General. Two issues related to Chief Judge Abdullah are already being discussed by two committees of the Majlis”, said Shahid.

Hamid Abdul Ghafoor, another member of the Committee on Independent Institutions asked al-Ustadh Adam Muhammad, President of the JSC and Justice at the Supreme Court, whether he believed Chief Judge Abdullah to be a judge, in today’s session. In answer, Justice Adam said Chief Judge Abdullah was sworn in as a judge in accordance with the law, and that as no authority having jurisdiction had determined that he was not a judge, there were no grounds for denying his judgeship.