The president was wrong, but I had to carry out his order: Tholhath

Former Defence Minister Tholhath Ibrahim Kaleyfaanu has said that he was forced to execute Nasheed’s orders to arrest the Criminal Court judge Abdulla Mohamed, even though he believed that order was unlawful.

Speaking to Indian newspaper The Times of India (TOI) regarding the arrest of the criminal court judge, Tholhath said he has no option but to tell truth in court.

"The president was wrong, but I had to carry out his order. The Maldivian military is supposed to assist police when so requested,” said Tholhath, reports TOI.

Nasheed resigned from presidency on 7th February 2012, after tensions rose following protests against Nasheed for the enforced disappearance of the sitting Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Mohamed. The judge was arrested on the 17th of January 2012.

Following the arrest of the Judge Abdulla Mohamed, United Nations (UN), Commonwealth and neighbouring countries had called on Nasheed to release the judge. Nasheed continued to hold until he was finally released on 7th February 2012 following Nasheed’s resignation.

The state has raised charges against both Nasheed and Tholhath regarding the matter.

One of the lawyers in Nasheed’s legal team, and Youth Minister during Nasheed’s presidency Hassan Latheef implied in his interview to TOI that the order to arrest Judge Abdulla Mohamed was not issued by Nasheed.

"There is no such written order from the President to arrest the judge, to begin with," Hassan Latheef told TOI.