PGO says no review sought for dropped charges against politicians

The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) has confirmed that no requests have been submitted to review the cases of politicians whose charges were withdrawn after being prosecuted under the previous government.

The confirmation was made in response to a request submitted by Atoll Times' sister publication Dhauru under the Right to Information and Access Act (RTIA). The request specifically inquired about the status of three cases involving politicians whose charges were dropped following initial prosecution.

The cases cited were:

In a written response sent last month, the PGO stated, "No party has submitted a request for review of any of the cases mentioned in the [RTI] form."

Following his appointment, current Prosecutor General Abbas Shareef allowed a 20-day window for parties to submit requests for case reviews if they disagreed with decisions made under the previous administration. No applications were received during that period in relation to the above cases.

The decision to withdraw charges in these cases was cited as a key concern in the parliamentary motion that led to the removal of former Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem.

At his first press conference, Prosecutor General Abbas was questioned about whether he intended to review the cases. He stated that the office would not initiate reviews.

Abbas explained that revisiting certain cases could lead to perceptions of personal or political bias. He said, “If a previous decision is overturned, the prosecutor could be accused of acting with personal prejudice against the individual involved.”

He further noted that allegations of political influence and pressure on the Prosecutor General are common during successive governments.