Vice President calls to suspend Judge Abdulla

Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has called to release the Chief Judge of Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed from Police custody, and to suspend him from work until investigations into his case are completed by the Judicial Service Commission.

Speaking at a Press Conference held at the President’s Office this afternoon, Dr Waheed proposed that three steps be taken in order to end the current unrest and to reestablish peace in Male’.

He proposed to end the current series of protests initiated by the Civil Society Coalition immediately and to release Maldivian citizen Abdulla Mohamed; to suspend Judge Abdulla from carrying out his duties as a Judge until the investigations into his case are completed; and for the Judicial Service Commission to expedite these investigations.

The Vice President requested the enforcement of these requests by the relevant groups as soon as possible.

While the Vice President has called for the suspension of Judge Abdulla from employment at an emergency Press Conference today, he had previously stated that even the government should follow orders issued by the Supreme Court and release Judge Abdulla immediately.

In his personal blog, the Vice President has said that the fight for freedom in the Maldives for the past 30 years has gone to waste. “I am ashamed and totally devastated by the fact that this is happening in a government in which I am the elected the Vice President,” says the vice President in his blog.