Attorney General Ahmed Usham has revealed significant negligence by the Ombudsperson’s Office for Transitional Justice, established by the former government, in maintaining documentation of submitted cases.
Usham disclosed that out of 489 cases submitted to the Ombudsperson’s Office, 460 were investigated, and 453 were concluded by the end of the previous government. Notably, 30 cases resulted in civil compensation, with a report sent to the President’s Office on November 17, 2023.
Expressing concern, Usham emphasized the seriousness of the cases, mainly involving rights violations, and criticized the Ombudsperson’s Office for neglecting its responsibilities. He highlighted the lack of details or documents, aside from case numbers, hindering the Attorney General’s Office from pursuing compensation through the courts. Usham assured that a dedicated team has been assembled to recover the documents for the 30 compensation cases.
Usham clarified that, following the office's term ending on November 17, 2023, all assets and paperwork were handed over to the Ministry of Finance as per institutional dissolution regulations. However, upon requesting case documents, the Ministry provided a server previously used by the Ombudsperson's Office. Usham criticized the careless handling of documents, posing challenges in locating pertinent files.
Established in 2020, the Ombudsperson's Office aimed to investigate rights violations by government bodies from President Mohamed Ameen to President Abdullah Yameen's terms. Initially set for two years, its term extended to November 17, 2023, due to incomplete work within the period.