The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has stated that Justice Azmiralda Zahir was provided with all rights fully in the investigation of allegations of influencing Criminal Court judges.

Justice Azmiralda was summoned to the JSC yesterday at 10:30 AM to give her statement regarding the case being investigated by the JSC. According to available information, Azmiralda has denied the allegations against her, stating they are false accusations.

However, Azmiralda's lawyer, Ibrahim Shameel, posted on X yesterday saying that when Azmiralda was summoned to the JSC to give her statement, she was not given the opportunity for a defense lawyer.

Refuting these claims, the JSC said in a press release today that when Justice Azmiralda requested legal counsel assistance in the investigation as per the JSC law, the opportunity was given on the 6th of this month, and Shameel was appointed as her lawyer.

The JSC also said that Shameel participated in the investigation related to Justice Azmiralda, and that after the hearing, Shameel had given false information to some media outlets.

"In the case being investigated by this Commission regarding Supreme Court Justice Dr. Azmiralda Zahir, all rights stipulated by the Constitution and law to be given to a judge have been provided to Justice Dr have been provided to Justice Dr. Azmiralda Zahir in the most complete manner," the JSC said.

The Commission said that the law specifies how to handle judges' ethical cases, providing legal counsel opportunities, and how an appointed legal counsel can fulfill their responsibilities and duties.

The JSC cited Article 25 (c) of the JSC Act, which states that when the details of the case against a judge are provided, the judge must answer the questions asked by the investigation committee. Article 25 (e) states that the judge may consult with their appointed legal counsel when answering the committee's questions.

"The person who must respond to the committee's questions is not the lawyer, but the judge. The lawyer's role is to provide legal advice to the judge when needed. This opportunity has been repeatedly given to both the judge and the lawyer by the committee. And if desired, the opportunity for the judge and lawyer to consult privately has also been repeatedly provided. This is a common and legal practice followed by this Commission and all investigative bodies in the Maldives," the JSC said.