Abbas Shareef, previously the Secretary to the President for Legal Affairs, has been named the new Prosecutor General of the Maldives. 

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu formally presented him with the appointment letter during a ceremony at the President’s Office on Wednesday morning. 

Chief Justice Ahmed Muthasim Adnan administered the oath of office.

Abbas succeeds Hussain Shameem, the former Prosecutor General.

His appointment came after a selection process that saw him emerge as the top candidate from a pool of six applicants. 

On September 11, President Dr Muizzu forwarded Abbas’ nomination to the Parliament’s Judiciary Committee, where he scored 93 percent during the evaluation. 

The committee unanimously approved his candidacy.

In an extraordinary parliamentary session held Tuesday, Abbas’ nomination was brought to the floor for a vote, where he received unanimous support from all 85 members of the Parliament.

Abbas is a law graduate from the University of Tasmania, Australia, and has had an extensive legal career, representing prominent figures such as former presidents Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom. 

His career also includes serving as a High Court judge between 2011 and 2015 and sitting on the governing board of the Maldives International Financial Services Authority (MIFSA).