Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has requested Civil Court to order Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed not to pass comments that could influence the trial against former President Mohamed Nasheed.
MDP made this request at the hearing held today, of their case against Dr Jameel accusing him of influencing Nasheed’s trial.
At the hearing, MDP’s lawyer Aishath Leesha said that Dr Jameel had said that Nasheed’s trial must be completed before the upcoming presidential election, and that the courts will be held responsible in the event that the trial is not completed before the election.
She said that Dr Jameel’s remarks impedes every citizen’s right to a fair trial enshrined in the constitution, and noted that the constitution states that no one, regardless of whether he is a member of the public or the head of a government institution, should influence or interfere with the work of judges.
She said that Dr Jameel’s remarks acted as a warning and that they had resulted in the courts acting differently. She said that as a result of Dr Jameel’s remarks, the case appealed in High Court by Nasheed was scheduled and dealt with hastily by the court.
In response, Dr Jameel’s lawyer Abdullah Saeed said that MDP’s claims are baseless. He noted that decisions about courts being influenced should be made by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), not MDP.
Civil Court Judge Ali Rasheed Hussain gave Dr Jameel’s lawyer the opportunity to respond to the claims in writing, before concluding today’s hearing.