AG provides counsel that Fahmy should not continue office

Attorney General Azima Shakoor has said that she has advised the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the President’s Office that the Mohamed Fahmy Hassan should not continue to hold the office of the President of the Civil Service Commission.

Supreme Court recently ruled in favour of CSC President Fahmy Hassan in his case against the Parliament following the Parliament’s decision to dismiss him regarding allegations of sexual harassment of a female CSC employee.

Speaking to Sun Online today, the Attorney General said that Supreme Court ruling did not state that Fahmy can resume office, or that he may be reinstated.

“I have counselled them that Fahmy cannot go back to office, that he cannot be reinstated. The Supreme Court ruling also does not state that Fahmy can go back to office, or that he should be reinstated. That is the reason I have advised the President’s Office and the CSC,” Azima said.

Media Coordinator of CSC Ali Nizar however said that the Commission did not received any such counsel from the Attorney General. A word from the President’s Office could not be obtained as the office was out of reach at the time of press.

Supreme Court made its ruling in favour of Fahmy on the 14th of March, and he resumed office on the 17th of March. CSC’s media coordinator had previously said that Fahmy had resumed office following a letter he received from the President’s Office.

The Parliament had passed to remove Fahmy from his post in November last year following a vote on a decision made the Parliament Independent Institutions Committee to remove him.

The Supreme Court said in its ruling on the case filed by Fahmy regarding the parliament’s decision to dismiss him, that the parliament’s decision was unconstitutional and therefore void. Six out of seven Supreme Court judges voted in favour of ruling that Fahmy’s dismissal was unconstitutional. The ruling states that every person is innocent until proven guilty in court, and that the decision by the parliament committee to dismiss Fahmy was not made within the boundaries of the criminal justice system.

The Supreme Court further said that the parliament had violated the procedures on dealing with a person accused of a criminal offence when it dealt with the case against Fahmy.