AG: Will not obey a court order for President’s dismissal

Authorities have received information Supreme Court will be issuing a court order for the dismissal of President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom sometime this Sunday, law enforcement agencies must not obey the court order, says Attorney General Mohamed Anil.

Speaking at a conference held by the State this Sunday morning, Anil declared that the Supreme Court does not have the jurisdiction to order the dismissal of the President.

Anil said that there’s talk Supreme Court is getting ready to issue an order for President Yameen’s dismissal this Sunday. And that authorities have received information of plans to create unrest within Male’ City in connection with the court order.

“This is not a power bestowed on them by the Constitution. No State authority has room to exercise a power it has no right to exercise,” said Anil.

The Attorney General referred to the Constitution, and said the authority to dismiss the President lay with the parliament.

“Considering all this, with the power bestowed upon me as the Attorney General in reference to Article 133, I say this to the government – including law enforcement agencies – as the one who makes all legal recommendations, any court order by Supreme Court for the dismissal of the President is unconstitutional. I have therefore instructed this clearly to all law enforcement agencies,” said Anil.

He said that no law enforcement agency should obey an unconstitutional court order.

“Article 145 of the Constitution makes it compulsory for security forces not to obey an illegal order,” added Anil.

Both Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abdulla Nawaz and Major General Ahmed Shiyam spoke at the press conference. They stated they will act according to the Attorney General’s advice.

“The Maldivian military can’t stand by and watch the country fall into crisis. The Maldivian military is acting according to the advice of the State’s Attorney General. The Maldivian military will not follow any illegal order,” said Major General Shiyam.

“The Maldivian police act in accordance with the advice of the Attorney General in such matters. At the same time, in a situation such as this, the Maldivian police working within the Maldivian Constitution and the laws of the country, in accordance with the advice of the Attorney General, to enforce such orders,” said DCP Nawaz, who has been put in charge of running the Maldives Police Service.