Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusaan and three high-ranking police officers are facing charges of contempt of court stemming from remarks made during a recent press conference, which relate to a Criminal Court decision to release suspects involved in a major narcotics case. The court has scheduled an emergency meeting of its judges for 1 p.m. on Thursday, 18 April, to deliberate on these charges.
The senior police officers facing the contempt charges are Chief Superintendent Ahmed Shakir, Chief Inspector Ahmed Waheed, and Sub-Inspector Mamdooh Hassan.
At the press conference held on 4 April, the home minister and the police officers allegedly insinuated that the court had been negligent in its duty by releasing the suspects. They claimed that the court released the suspects on 21 March despite the police having amassed sufficient evidence. The court said that Ihusaan and the officers, through their statements, had exerted undue influence on the judges and undermined their safety and security.
The press conference was held to brief the media about the ongoing drug operation and share the views of both the Homeland Security Ministry and the police regarding the Criminal Court decision in the case, which involved 119 kilogrammes of narcotics. At the press conference, the police officers voiced their dissatisfaction with the court decision that resulted in the release of the suspects. They provided a detailed account of the police operation to seize the drugs and presented a comprehensive presentation about the case.
Chief Superintendent Shakir revealed that the Homeland Security Ministry had instructed the police to disclose information about the case to the media and the public. The police officers were notably critical of the court decision.
