No conflict of interest as JSC member, presidential candidate: Gasim

Jumhoree Party (JP) Presidential Candidate Gasim Ibrahim has told reporters he will not step down from his position on the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), stating that he saw no conflict of interest between his bid for power and role on the judicial watchdog.

The JP held a press conference yesterday with its two recently-unveiled coalition partners, the religious conservative Adhaalath Party and the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), following their defection from President Mohamed Waheed’s ‘Forward with the nation’ coalition last week.

According to local news outlet Haveeru, journalists repeatedly asked Gasim how he could possibly remain an impartial member of the JSC while running for president.

In response, Gasim said he saw no conflict of interest, and insisted that he would “not neglect his legal obligations” as a JSC member.

Following the investigation of Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed sex tape scandal by a JSC subcommittee, Gasim voted against suspending the judge, in contradiction of the subcommittee’s recommendation.

Attorney General Aishath Azima Shukoor, President Waheed’s representative Latheefa Gasim, and Chair of the Civil Service Commission, Mohamed Fahmy Hassan, also voted against the judge’s suspension, citing “lack of evidence”.

Gasim meanwhile publicly declared that Hameed’s sex tape was “a fake” orchestrated by “external forces” seeking to take over state assets, introduce other religions to the country, and create infighting in Maldivian society.

His comments were followed this week with the leak of two more sex videos of the judge, including one depicting the judge fraternising with a topless woman with an eastern European accent. At one point, the judge leans right into the camera, and his face is visible.

JSC controversy

The public’s representative on the JSC, Sheikh Shuaib Abdul Rahman, has been sharply critical of the commission’s conduct and motivations, particularly its “open discussion” of its intent to eliminate Gasim’s rival presidential candidate, former President Mohamed Nasheed, from contesting the upcoming elections.

“It is common now to hear a lot of MDP and Nasheed bashing in commission meetings. This was not how things usually were before. I believe politically biased comments like this have increased since Gasim joined the JSC as a representative of the parliament,” Sheikh Rahman stated in March.

“Gasim even went to the point of asking the UN Special Rapporteur Gabriela Knaul when she held a meeting with us to state in her report that it was Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) who torched the courts. I heard him say exactly that,” Sheikh Rahman said.

Knaul’s final report to the UN Human Rights Council following her mission to the Maldives in February, was a damning indictment of the country’s judicial crisis.

The special rapporteur stated that there was near unanimous consensus during her visit that the composition of the JSC was “inadequate and politicised”. This complaint echoed that of the International Committee of Jurists (ICJ) in 2010.

“Because of this politicisation, the commission has allegedly been subjected to all sorts of external influence and has consequently been unable to function properly,” said Knaul.

The JSC was responsible for both creating the court in which Nasheed was to be tried for his detention of Chief Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Mohamed in early 2011, and appointing the panel of judges overhearing the trial.

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5 thoughts on “No conflict of interest as JSC member, presidential candidate: Gasim”

  1. "Jumhoree Party (JP) Presidential Candidate Gasim Ibrahim has told reporters he will not step down from his position on the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), stating that he saw no conflict of interest between his bid for power and role on the judicial watchdog."

    Very true!
    He cannot, and will not see that there is any conflict of interest in him being at the JSC and running for presidency!

    If he resign from JSC (through which the coup that could not be stated a coup how ever much there was evidence to prove it), he will not be able to defend corrupt people like Ali Hameed sitting as a judge in the Supreme Court!

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  2. I like the picture shown here. Here we have the biggest purveyor of liquor and pork in the Maldives, standing in front of symbols of Islam,

    Meanwhile his "boy" Ali Hameed is fornicating away in brothels all over the world, in between his "heavy workload" at the Supreme Court to defend Islam and nationhood.

    Gasim deserves 100 lashes every time he utters the word "Islam"!

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  3. 'conflict of interest' means nothing and should mean nothing when you can control all industries be it tourism, fishing, shipping, media, trading, energy and gas and even financial services.

    On top of it, add the bid for presidency, member of the highest body for Judiciary and a member of parliament.

    ... still no conflict.

    There is no single man in the world who controls the largest chunk of a national economy + plus an MP + plus judiciary + head of political party. Imagine the default power that such a persons can wield in a small community.

    Mr. Qasim has all the powers except being a head Mufti.

    This man is also insulting to the intelligence of Maldivains because he feels he can

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  4. This is the same way that Qasim will have no conflict of interest as owner and chairman of Villa Group while being President (if he ever gets elected). I wonder if he will state that he won't resign from his position of Maamigili MP if he becomes President? After all , there can't be that much of a conflict of interest, right Mr. Qasim?

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  5. Well said zayd....he is that stupid to understand what is conflict of interest.

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