Judge Faiz suspended over complaints related to remand decisions

Criminal Court Judge Hussain Faiz Rashad has been suspended, the Criminal Court confirmed on Wednesday. However, the court did not provide details regarding the reason for the suspension.

It is understood that the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) decided to suspend Judge Faiz following complaints about how he handled remand proceedings in several cases.

Among the cases cited are those of Haleemath Lamha Abdul Rahman, who had been remanded pending trial in connection with the death of Filipino nurse Mary Grace Oned Pineda, and Ali Anwar Mohamed, who was previously accused of leading a drug smuggling operation.

Lamha, initially remanded in November 2023, was later released on house arrest in December after Judge Faiz ordered a risk assessment to determine the likelihood of her absconding. The prosecution stated it could not provide such an assessment because Lamha was not under active monitoring. The High Court had earlier overturned her release and directed the lower court to reconsider the remand decision.

In the case of Ali Anwar, who was arrested in a recent drug operation, Judge Faiz ordered his unconditional release. He was later re-arrested while reportedly attempting to travel abroad.

Judge Faiz previously served on the bench that convicted former President Abdulla Yameen in 2019. He was also suspended at that time after an audio recording related to Yameen’s verdict was leaked, though the suspension was later lifted after the matter was not proven.

The JSC has not yet issued an official statement detailing the grounds or duration of the current suspension.