Sun Online has learned that the allegations made against Supreme Court justice Dr. Azmiralda Zahir prior to Judicial Service Commission’s (JSC) probe her has shifted post the investigation.
The JSC committee, that was formed to probe Azmiralda’s case, had sent a notice to the apex court judge on February 26th that said she was alleged with attempting to coerce Criminal Court judges regarding her husband, Dr. Ismail Latheef’s criminal case. The commission added it was looking into the matter following a complaint.
The Supreme Court justice had been summoned to the commission for questioning on the matter, and the preliminary report of the committee alleged Azmiralda had contacted the Criminal Court judges presiding over her husband’s case to coerce a different judgement.
However, the commission’s report after the investigation alleged Azmiralda along with another top court judge had attempted to coerce criminal court judges. JSC is making allegations on Supreme Court justice Mahaz Ali Zahir in the same case as well.
The committee in its report recommended termination of the two top court justices. But Sun Online had learned the committee arrived this decision after it changed the allegations on Azmiralda.
JSC in its report further demanded both top court justices are required to respond to the allegations no later than Thursday this week.
Meanwhile, Azmiralda’s legal counsel has previously alleged the committee’s investigation was procedurally unlawful and beyond the scope of law.
Azmiralda, Mahaz along with Supreme Court justice Husnu al-Suood were suspended on February 26th citing disciplinary cases on them, while the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is looking into criminal allegations the trio face.
JSC began its investigations on all three judges while they had been presiding over a Supreme Court case concerning the contentious constitutional amendment that added anti-defection clauses.
Not long after he was suspended, Suood tendered his resignation on March 4th, while he had raised concerns about the transparency of the JSC investigation.
Meanwhile the veteran attorney had also brought the matter to the attention of international community while the United Nations had expressed their concerns regarding the case and demanded an answer about the matter from the government.