Parliament endorses Hussain Shameem as the next Prosecutor General

Parliament has voted in favor of appointing former Deputy Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem as Maldives’ next Prosecutor General.

Shameem secured the approval of the Parliament with the unanimous consensus of 74 parliamentarians at the last sitting of the third session of the Parliament this Saturday afternoon.

The position of Prosecutor General had fallen vacant following the resignation of Aishath Bisham on November 28 – just ahead of a vote of no-confidence against her at the Parliament.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih nominated Shameem to the vacant position and submitted his name for parliamentary approval on Monday, December 2.

The parliamentarians who spoke during the debate on report on presented by the Judiciary Committee following its vetting process earlier this Saturday had spoken in support of the nomination. They said they found him capable of undertaking the responsibilities of the Prosecutor General.

Those who voiced support for the nomination includes PNC deputy leader Adam Shareef Umar, who serves as the parliamentary representative for Maavashu constituency.

Shameem, when interviewed by the Judiciary Committee, promised to remedy the issue of indefinite detention of suspects if appointed the Prosecutor General. He also announced his intention of making it mandatory for the staff at the Prosecutor General’s Office to spend one hour each week solely to read and learn from legal publications.