Appeal over ex-Islamic Minister’s acquittal to begin Sunday

High Court is scheduled to begin hearings in the appeal filed by the state over the acquittal of former Islamic Minister Dr. Ahmed Ziyad Bagir in a corruption case against him on Sunday.

Ziyad and former Head of Endowment at Islamic Ministry Ibrahim Abdulla Saeed were charged with misuse of official authority in connection to a contract awarded by the Islamic Ministry to SJ Construction to build Zikra Mosque.

An investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) found the contract had been unfavorable to the state and conferred unfair advantages to SJ Construction.

However, both Ziyad and Ibrahim – who the ACC found had a connection with SJ Construction that posed a conflict of interest - were cleared by the Criminal Court last year.

The Criminal Court testimony from two witnesses prove the Islamic Ministry had attempted to rectify the mistake the moment they noticed the number of floors were written wrong on the contract, and the state failed to present any evidence it had been deliberate, and not a clerical error.