Sunday
24th Nov 2024
Dhivehi Edition
Officials of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party had claimed that opposition leader, former President Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayyoom would have to "go to jail".
Speaking at a campaign event to drum up support for Mohamed "Rado" Rasheed, the MDP's candidate for the upcoming Komandoo bi-election,the MDP's Vice President Mohamed Shifaz and the State Trading Organisation's Managing Director Hussain Amru had both claimed that the former President would have to return to jail.
Shifaz also serves a ministerial role at the President's Office.
Since the former President's acquittal by the Supreme Court in November, he has called on the opposition to intensify the "India Out" movement which calls for the removal of all Indian military personnel and assets from the Maldives. In the weeks that followed, the former President had visited several islands to drum up support for the movement.
"President Yameen is doing things that would get him back in jail", said Shifaz. "I think that he should be put back into where he was. He should be put back into prison".
At the same event, Amru had also repeated the sentiment that the former President should be returned to prison. He said that the former President would be in jail before the beginning of Ramadan.
"I think that President Yameen would return to prison by Ramadan", said Amru.
As several MDP officials have called for the former President's incarceration, many in the opposition have accused the Solih administration of exerting undue influence over the judiciary with regard to the cases lodged against him.
The Criminal Court is currently hearing 4 cases lodged by the State against the former President. Two of the cases involve accepting bribes, and two involve money laundering.