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In a heated cross-examination this afternoon, former Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said he was “flabbergasted” by the questions posed by the state.

Sayed-Khaiyum made the remark after being questioned about why tax relief details were not reflected in the Constitutional Offices Commission (COC) meeting minutes of June 29, 2021. The tax component, which later led to the deeds, followed the COC’s decision to approve the former Supervisor of Elections’ pay increase.

When asked by the state, the former AG denied being the drafter of the 2013 Constitution. The state argued that as Attorney General, he was responsible for ensuring the laws within the Constitution did not conflict with one another, a claim he rejected, saying inconsistencies can arise in any legal framework.

Earlier, the defense accused the state of being emotional in its line of questioning and urged them to focus on the specific charges.

The prosecution also suggested that former SOE Mohammed Saneem was appointed to secure Sayed-Khaiyum’s political survival, a claim he dismissed as “nonsensical.”

The state further claimed there was an error in the President’s appointment letter for Saneem, noting it did not delegate the President’s powers but merely authorized the execution of the contract. Sayed-Khaiyum denied this, along with allegations that he concealed deeds or acted in self-interest, maintaining that the Solicitor General’s Office drafted the documents.

He reiterated that he acted lawfully, in line with the President’s letter and section 163 of the Constitution.

The defense objected, stating the state’s questioning about the drafting of the deeds was irrelevant.

Sayed-Khaiyum denied ever instructing the former Acting Solicitor General to draft the Deeds of Variation.

Former Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem is expected to testify tomorrow.

Sayed-Khaiyum faces one count of abuse of office, while Saneem is charged with receiving a corrupt benefit. It is alleged that Saneem sought and obtained $55,944.03 in tax relief on his back pay from Sayed-Khaiyum.

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