Former President Abdulla Yameen on Sunday night alleged government "meddling" to delay his High Court appeal, accusing President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu of failing to make any effort to secure his freedom.
Speaking at a campaign rally for parliamentary candidates of the People's National Front (PNF) party that he is attempting to form, Yameen said President Muizzu was facing questions about Yameen's freedom during door-to-door visits to meet the public. President Muizzu's response was to say that he was "doing so much work on that," Yameen said.
"There's no work that Muizzu is doing to free me. If it is as I have learned, my trial has been delayed so far through meddling from the government's upper echelons," Yameen said.
Yameen's allegations came after President Muizzu denied that any government official would obstruct justice for the former President.
"No minister, no company head, no MP, no one from the government would exert influence over any court proceeding. I have that certainty. The courts are functioning without any influence," President Muizzu said at a meeting with residents of Hithadhoo and Feydhoo during a visit to Addu city.
Four months have passed since the High Court concluded hearings in the appeal of the prison sentence handed to former President Yameen over alleged corruption in the lease of Vaavu Aaarah.
Yameen was found guilty of accepting and laundering a USD 1.1 million bribe for the resort lease transaction in the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) corruption scandal that occurred during his administration. The Criminal Court sentenced him to 11 years in prison with a fine of USD 5 million.
The last appeal hearing at the High Court took place on November 21, 2023. The court heard closing arguments at the final hearing ahead of delivering a judgment.
After the presidential election, Yameen was transferred to house arrest while serving the sentence at Maafushi prison. He was later granted privileges to move freely in Male'.
In addition to the Aarah case, Yameen was also charged with bribery and money laundering over alleged corruption in the leasing of Raa Fuggiri. The case remains stalled after the Criminal Court started hearings.
Freedom for Yameen was a key pledge of President Muizzu during his election campaign. However, the pair became estranged before Muizzu took the oath of office.
Yameen said President Muizzu was not governing as the public wanted. The PNF was forced to hold rallies because of the government's failure to fulfill pledges, he said, taking the stalled Rasmale' project as one example.
The development of Rasmale' to provide housing for residents of the Male' region was the flagship project included in President Muizzu's manifesto. Despite President Muizzu saying that the land reclamation for the project would be completed in eight months, the government recently conceded that the project has stalled.
