News Desk
MALÉ, Maldives — The Judicial Service Commission has asked Parliament to remove Criminal Court Judge Hussain Faiz Rashaad from office, citing violations of the Constitution and laws in a string of controversial rulings.
Judge Faiz has been suspended since October 22 — the longest suspension of a sitting judge in the Maldives, at 60 days — while the commission investigated his conduct. On Wednesday, the JSC said it had concluded that his actions breached judicial standards, prompting its decision to seek dismissal.
The inquiry focused on two cases that drew public scrutiny:
- Ali Anwar Mohammed, accused of overseeing drug smuggling operations into the Maldives. Faiz ordered his release last October after a five-day remand expired, despite Anwar’s record of theft and narcotics offenses. Police later attempted to rearrest him, but he fled to Sri Lanka before being deported and detained again. Anwar had previously been implicated in a 2019 joint operation that seized 70 kilograms of narcotics linked to an Iranian vessel and a Maldivian fishing boat.
- Halimath Lamha, charged in the 2021 murder of Mary Grace, a Filipino nurse at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital. Faiz twice released Lamha from custody, arguing her detention should be reassessed to determine whether she posed a threat to society. Prosecutors appealed both decisions, and the High Court overturned them. After Faiz’s suspension, Lamha was remanded until trial.
This is not the first time Faiz has faced disciplinary action. In 2019, he sat on the bench that sentenced former President Abdulla Yameen to prison. He was later suspended — along with Judges Ali Adam and Mohammed Sameer — after leaked audio recordings suggested improper discussions about cases. That suspension was eventually lifted.
The JSC has now advised further action against Faiz in another matter involving judicial misconduct, underscoring mounting concerns about his record.
Separately, the Anti-Corruption Commission has opened an investigation into allegations of money laundering and corruption against High Court Judge Mohammed Faisal, following a police complaint. Faisal resigned from his post though the JSC continues to examine cases involving him and other High Court judges.
The JSC has faced criticism from former judges and the public over its handling of misconduct cases. In a statement Monday night, the commission defended its approach, saying it does not act against judges based solely on the courts they serve in, but only after clarifying information under the Constitution and laws.
So far this year, 176 complaints have been filed with the JSC. Of those, 57 have been taken up for investigation, and only 3.4 percent have been proven, resulting in action against six judges. “This is a small number compared to the complaints submitted,” the commission said.
