The appointment of Mohamed Fahmy Hassan, who had been sacked as president of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) over sexual harassment, to a political post in the new government has drawn criticism.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu appointed him as a State Minister at the Foreign Ministry yesterday.
During former President Abdulla Yameen's government, he had been appointed as Deputy High Commissioner to Malaysia on November 28, 2013.
A post on the President's Office's official X account announcing Fahmy's appointment drew criticism from the public towards President Muizzu and his administration.
It should not have been done by a government that pledged to protect women's rights, some people said.
"As far as I know, President Muizzu said he would appoint the most capable people to posts. Is this what we get in return? A person who sexually harasses women in the workplace? This is unacceptable," a woman said on X.
Some people called the move deliberate and characterized Fahmy as someone who "falls under state care."
"Our country is one where opportunities are facilitated for sexual harassers and talk of women's empowerment is just talk for winning votes," another person said.
"Governments change. But men who sexually harass and abuse their authority remain in posts," read a post on X.
Fahmy's dismissal from the CSC
Parliament's independent institutions committee started looking into Fahmy's case on June 4, 2012 after a complaint alleging sexual harassment was filed by a female CSC employee.
A criminal investigation was also conducted by the police.
Both the female employee and Fahmy testified at a committee meeting held on June 11, 2012.
The committee also met other CSC staff and persons noted in the woman's statement. The eight people included two men and six women.
The matter was put to a vote at a committee meeting held on June 26, 2012.
Presenting the committee report to the parliament floor, Kulhudhuffushi Dhekunu MP Mohamed Nasheed (Kutti Nasheed), chair of the committee, revealed that seven out of 10 committee members had concluded based on the inquiry's findings that Fahmy did commit the act.
"While Fahmy said at the committee that he absolutely had not touched [the female staff who submitted the complaint], on the day after the incident, Fahmy told two other commission members, Khadeeja Adam and Jameela Ali Khalid, that he might have grabbed the hand of [the female staff who submitted the complaint]," Nasheed said.
It was Fahmy who initiated the conversation and told the two CSC members that he might have touched her hand but denied caressing her stomach, the report added.
Five members of the committee supported Fahmy's removal from the post whilst five members voted to defer action until the criminal investigation was concluded.
As the vote was tied, Nasheed as chair voted to sack Fahmy.
The report was submitted to parliament on November 20, 2012. In the vote taken that day, 37 out of 74 MPs in attendance voted in favor of dismissing Fahmy. Two MPs abstained and 32 MPs voted against dismissal.
On December 11, 2012, Fahmy filed a case against parliament at the Supreme Court, contending that his dismissal had been unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court ruled in his favor on March 14, 2013. Only current Chief Justice Muthasim Adnan from the seven-judge bench dissented from the majority opinion.
