Five days for Chief Justice to respond to charges

A duration of five days has been granted to the Chief Justice, Abdulla Saeed, to respond to the charges pressed against him. 

With the penal code suspended during the course of the State of Emergency, the Chief Justice is being treated under the pre-penal code regulations. At the hearing today, the Judge said that this was an arbitrary trial. 

The Chief Justice has two charges pending against him. Today's hearing was on the charge of obstructing the government. 

Sources say that the second charge is for destroying evidence. 

Aside from the Chief Justice, the former President, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and the Supreme Court Judge, Ali Hameed Mohamed, are also being charged with destroying evidence. 

All three were arrested on the night of 5 February 2018 under the suspicion of an attempt to overthrow the government. The investigation that followed is still ongoing.