Resident Magistrate Joji Boseiwaqa addressed an application today by former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum to consolidate charges against him and former Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem. Magistrate Boseiwaqa stated that he could not hear the arguments from either side since the case is currently before Magistrate Yogesh Prasad.
Both defendants were present in court, although Sayed-Khaiyum has been excused from the next hearing scheduled for Tuesday. He faces a charge of abuse of office, which stems from a complaint made by Ana Mataiciwa, the Supervisor of Elections. The allegation asserts that during his time as Acting Prime Minister between June 30 and July 12, 2022, Sayed-Khaiyum signed a Deed of Variation and Addendum between the government and Saneem without proper approvals from the Constitutional Offices Commission and the President, specifically regarding the payment of Saneem’s taxes.
Saneem is charged with receiving a corrupt benefit, alleged to have occurred between June 1 and July 31, 2022, while serving as Supervisor of Elections. He is accused of unlawfully obtaining a benefit through the approval and payment of over $50,000 in deductible tax relief from a senior government official for his back pay.