Resident Magistrate Joji Boseiwaqa made a hesitant ruling today regarding former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum’s request to consolidate the charges he faces alongside former Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem. Magistrate Boseiwaqa noted that he could not proceed with hearing any arguments from the defense or the state as the case is already under the jurisdiction of Magistrate Yogesh Prasad.
Both accused individuals were present in court; however, Sayed-Khaiyum has been excused from the next court session scheduled for Tuesday. He is facing a single count of abuse of office, which stems from concerns raised by the current Supervisor of Elections, Ana Mataiciwa.
The accusation against Sayed-Khaiyum states that, while acting as Prime Minister between June 30 and July 12, 2022, he signed a Deed of Variation and Addendum between the Government and Saneem. This action allegedly occurred without the necessary approvals from the Constitutional Offices Commission and the President, enabling the Government to cover Saneem’s taxes improperly.
Similarly, Saneem is charged with Receiving a Corrupt Benefit. It is alleged that between June 1 and July 31, 2022, he solicited and received a benefit that included the approval and payment of tax relief exceeding $50,000 on his back pay, without proper authorization, from a senior government official.