The Supreme Court has fined the Prosecutor General's Office after its Prosectors were late to a court hearing at the top court.
The Top Court had scheduled a hearing in the murder case of Mariyam Sheereen, who was found dead in a pile of garbage, in which her lover had been sentenced to a 12-year jail term.
It had scheduled the hearing for 09:00 am this morning but only began at 09:20 am after State Prosecutors handling the case ran late to the hearing.
Presiding Judge Husnu Sood noted that time is more valuable than gold and that all should make an effort to be punctual.
He said that if the court has summoned an individual for a specific time, then the person should heed the court by being on time. Judge Husnu Sood said that court chits summoning individuals and organizations to a court hearing is also a court order and that it is mandatory for all to follow the document.
The Judge said that since the prosecutors were late by 11 minutes the PG Office would be given a fine of MVR 250 and that it should pay the fine within seven working days.
He added that if the PG office failed to pay the fine, its prosecutors would not be allowed to take part in the court process.
Meanwhile, Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem tweeted saying that he supported the Supreme Court's decision.
PG Shameem said anyone who is late should have to face its consequences and that this time experienced prosecutors were of his office were in the wrong.
He went on to say that even if the decision poses difficulties for his office, neither he nor his office would defend a prosecutor being late to a court hearing.
