Former President Abdulla Yameen has said that the leaders of the current administration are mistaken in thinking that he can be imprisoned.
During a meeting held at his People's National Front (PNF) office on Monday night, Yameen said there was no evidence to support the statement made by former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb in both cases against him.
Yameen said that there was no way he could be imprisoned even if that is what the President wanted, as long as the judges did not make an error.
"Hoping to jail President Yameen is an illusion. I don't believe it can be done on just the orders of the President," said the former President who was in office from 2013 to 2018.
"I have confidence in the judges of the appeal courts. It could happen if the judges of the appeal courts make an error. Otherwise, there is no way it will happen. It will not happen."
Yameen was charged with corruption over the sale of two islands, Vaavu Aarah and Raa Fuggiri, through the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) when he was in power.
In 2022, the Criminal Court sentenced Yameen to 11 years in prison in the Vaavu Aarah case.
He could not run in last year's presidential election because the sentence had not been overturned.
However, in April this year, Yameen was released from jail after the High Court quashed his conviction and ordered a retrial at the Criminal Court.
Senior officials of the current government described Yameen's conviction and prison sentence as a haram hukum (unjust sentencing) when they were in the opposition.
However, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, Parliament Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla and some leaders of the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) are now finding fault with Yameen.
Yameen has previously accused the government of influencing the Aarah appeal case in the High Court.
He recently announced his decision to contest in the 2028 presidential election despite two ongoing cases against him.
