Usham is the AG who influenced judges most since 2008, Mahaz says
Mahaz, who was dismissed by the People’s National Congress (PNC)-dominated Parliament in May, made the allegation in a post on X.
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Former Supreme Court Judge Mahaz Ali Zahir has alleged that Attorney General Ahmed Usham has exerted more influence over the judiciary than any previous Attorney General since the introduction of the multi-party system in the Maldives.
Mahaz, who was dismissed by the People’s National Congress (PNC)-dominated Parliament in May, made the allegation in a post on X. He was removed following a Judicial Service Commission (JSC) finding of misconduct. The JSC’s actions included suspending Mahaz and two other judges while a constitutional amendment case was scheduled for hearing.
Judges Husnu Sood and Dr Azmiralda Zahir were suspended alongside Mahaz. The suspensions were widely interpreted as a move to influence the outcome of the constitutional amendment case. These claims have been denied by both the government and AG Usham.
In his latest post, Mahaz shared a screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation which he claims documents an attempt to relay a message from Usham through a lawyer. According to Mahaz, the message was conveyed during an eight-minute phone call on 10 February.
Mahaz claimed the Attorney General, via the lawyer, stated that no state agency would investigate the Supreme Court judges’ case and that the JSC would not pursue the matter related to an incident dated 25 October 2022. “The message that Usham wanted to convey through his lawyer was clear,” Mahaz wrote. “I told the lawyer I knew why he was bringing up 2022 now.”
Mahaz added, “I have not seen an AG who has influenced the judges so much since 2008.”
When approached for comment, AG Usham told Dhauru that he had already denied Mahaz’s allegations and did not wish to make further statements at this time. “However, if there is a need to talk more about this, I will talk,” he said.
In February, Parliament introduced a proposed amendment to reduce the number of Supreme Court justices from seven to five. Mahaz alleged that the amendment was part of a promise made by the Attorney General, referencing the message forwarded to a lawyer.
Although the amendment was passed in Parliament, it was not ratified by the President. Following the suspension of Mahaz and two other justices, the constitutional amendment case heard by the full bench of the Supreme Court came to a halt.
The JSC later initiated proceedings against Mahaz over an unrelated matter involving his alleged influence over a Criminal Court judge to release the husband of Justice Azmiralda. The individual, former IGMH doctor Ismail Latheef, had been arrested from a massage parlour. Mahaz has denied the allegation.
