JSC suspends civil court judge

The Judicial Services Commission (JSC) has suspended Civil Court Judge Mohamed Hilmy pending an investigation by police into alleged sexual misconduct.

Hilmy was arrested in Hulhumale’ last week while he was allegedly undressed at the beach with a woman.

A press release from the JSC states that Hilmy has been asked to stay home until further notice by the commission or until the police investigation was completed.

“Further, the commission has asked the Police Integrity Commission to investigate a complaint from Mohamed Hilmy that police mistreated him, exhibited profane behaviour and gave defamatory information to media,” it reads.

Shahinda Ismail, president of the Police Integrity Commission, told Minivan News today a complaint was filed by the Judges Association (JA) yesterday and the JSC requested the commission to look into the matter today.

“In their letter, JSC said the JA are saying that he has complained to them, that he was walking in Hulhumale’ with his fiancé and police came and handcuffed both of them and basically undressed them by force,” she said. 

In a statement earlier this week, police denied media reports that the judge was abused in custody.

On Saturday, local daily Haveeru reported that Hilmy was arrested in Hulhumale’ and beaten by police.

“In connection with the case written about in that news story, two people were arrested at about 11pm midnight on 12 November 2009,” reads police statement.
“The two had to be taken into custody on suspicion of sexual behaviour in a public place as they were at the garbage dump in the south of Hulhumale’ with their pants down.”

Police further denied the allegation that the judge was abused by police and photographed after his pants were forcibly pulled down.

Hilmy told Haveeru that he lived in Hulhumale’ and was walking with his fiancé when they were set upon by police.

The judge alleged that police handcuffed him, used obscene language and beat him before photographing him.

Hilmy further alleged that a senior police threatened him at a meeting at civil court and told him they would show him how powerful the police force was.

High-profile cases that Hilmy has heard includes Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s request for an injunction against the presidential commission and the Herethere Resort dispute.