President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has stated tonight that his hope is former President Abdulla Yameen is acquitted in tomorrow's High Court hearing.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has stated tonight that his hope is former President Abdulla Yameen is acquitted in tomorrow's High Court hearing.
The High Court will be issuing it's verdict tomorrow on the appeal case Yameen has submitted regarding last year's Criminal Court verdict sentencing him to 11 years in prison on convictions for money laundering and bribery.
Speaking at a campaign rally of PNC Candidate for Gahdhoo constituency Mohamed Ali, the President stated that he has even previously expressed concerns about the delays in reaching a conclusion on Yameen's appeal case.
The President recalled that he had called for Yameen to be transferred to house arrest in his first press appearance after winning last year's presidential election, prompting then government to swiftly implement the transfer.
The President, however, raised concerns that opposition Maldivian Democratic Party is trying to interfere even in such matters, and said that this is because they hold a majority of seats in the Judicial Services Commission as well.
The President highlighted that despite widespread concerns, the matter remains pending until MDP decides to step in, at which point hearings get scheduled.
"JSC is currently under MDP's power. Even the JSC President is an MDP member. Majlis Speaker is from MDP. As Speaker, he's also in JSC. There's also an MP in JSC. In that way, entire JSC is taken over by MDP," the President said.
"It is evidence of that that it was just a few days ago the Speaker said he will raise this issue of former President Yameen's appeal with JSC. And just a couple of days after he said that, the case is scheduled now. So they held this back all this time, didn't they?"
President Dr Muizzu reiterated his call for the case to be concluded freely and fairly, and expressed hopes that Yameen would be freed.
"It's been arranged now that MDP's president wanted it [tomorrow's hearing]. And I am delighted about that. My hope is that Yameen becomes free and comes. I have been informed that the hearing will proceed. My prayer is that he [Yameen] receives justice and is freed," the President said.
The President alleged that there is political interference within the work of JSC, and asserted that he would free it of such influences. He said that a parliament majority is necessary to achieve this as there are laws that will be need to be amended.
The President appealed to the public to vote for government aligned candidates in the upcoming election.
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