Chief Magistrate at Dharavandhoo Magistrate Court suspended

Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has announced its decision to suspend B. Dharavandhoo Magistrate Court’s Chief Magistrate Ahmed Latheef.

In a statement released by JSC today, they said that Ahmed Latheef was suspended as he had reviewed and ruled in a case lodged at Dharavandhoo Magistrate Court in which a party to the case had a connection to him that dictates a conflict of interest.

“Chief Magistrate Ahmed Latheef has intervened in reviewing five criminal cases lodged at B. Thulhaadhoo Magistrate Court – reasoning that he has a connection to one of parties to the cases. However, Chief Magistrate Ahmed Latheef has reviewed and ruled on the remand of the same party, in another case lodged at B. Dharavandhoo Magistrate, without intervention,” the statement had read.

The statement further read that Chief Magistrate Ahmed Latheef had decided on the case in contradiction to the law and that he had acted in violation of the judge’s code of conduct. Therefore, JSC said that they are suspending Chief Magistrate Ahmed Latheef starting today, for a period of two weeks, without pay.

JSC further said that following the suspension of Chief Magistrate Ahmed Latheef, the operations of Dharavandhoo Magistrate court will be overseen by B. Kamadhoo Magistrate Court’s Chief Magistrate Ahmed Shujau.