Not using State funds for office, medicals: Yameen

Former President Abdulla Yameen has stated that he has not taken State funds to cover office operations or medical costs since he left office on November 17, 2018. 

Funds are issued from the State Budget to former presidents monthly to cover costs of running offices of past presidents. An amendment was submitted to parliament yesterday seeking to discontinue this. 

Speaking at a People's National Front (PNF) rally last night, Yameen responded to remarks made by ruling People's National Congress (PNC) Parliamentary Group Leader Ibrahim Falah in parliament yesterday. 

Falah alleged that although Yameen does not use the MVR 175,000 allowance issued for running an office, he conducts political activities at his residence with these State funds. 

"So even if this allowance is not given, even if this office is run at his residence, the people will believe this office is run with State funds," Falah said. 

Falah also accused Yameen of having built up his residence with 'ill-gotten gains'. 

At last night's PNF meeting, Yameen responded to these allegations. He stated that he has not taken a penny from the State to operate an office over the past seven years. 

"There is an allocation for former presidents' medical coverage in the State budget. It's been seven years now, and there won't be a single time when me or my wife received medical treatment and billed any costs to Aasandha or any government entity," Yameen said. 

Yameen said that although providing benefits for former presidents is set in the law, not every president takes these allowances. 

"Certainly, this president doesn't," he asserted. 

Although Yameen has stated that he doesn't take the allowances for office operations and medical coverage, Finance Ministry records indicate that certain other financial benefits are issued to him. This includes monthly living expenses and financial allowance for his residence. 

Data up to October 30 this year shows that MVR 8.1 million has been issued as living expenses and financial allowance for Yameen's residence. Since he left office in 2019,  the State has issued MVR 600,000 annually as expenses for his residence. The same amount is also issued annually as financial allowance. 

Even in the year he left office, MVR 73,000 as living expenses and MVR 73,000 as financial allowance was issued by the State to Yameen. 

Reviewing former presidents' records show that in addition to Yameen, former President Mohamed Waheed has also not taken any State funds to cover medical expenses. All Presidents besides Yameen, however, do take funds for operating offices. 

An amendment to the Former Presidents' Protection and Benefits Act has been proposed in parliament. The bill seeks to discontinue the monthly MVR 175,000 allowance for maintaining offices of former presidents, along with associated benefits. 

The bill was submitted on behalf of the government by ruling People's National Congress (PNC) MP Mohamed Shahid. 

Article 8 of the Act states that in the instance that a former president intends to do social work beneficial to the community, a monthly allowance of up to MVR 175,000 is to be issued by the State to cover the cost of office operations, hiring employees and other expenses. 

The bill proposed yesterday seeks to annul this article. Should the bill be passed, the allowance will no longer be issued. 

One of the amendments in the bill states that if a former President is elected for a second term or appointed to another State position, they will not receive any former president benefits for the duration. This is also to apply to former vice presidents. 

The new bill, unlike the existing Act, includes a chapter on the provision of protection and benefits to former vice presidents. 

Amendments in the proposed bill include granting a monthly allowance of MVR 25,000 to former vice presidents. It also calls for medical treatment to be provided both in-country and abroad. 

However, as per the bill, vice presidents must have served a full five year term as per the Constitution to be eligible for the benefits. 

Under this, only Faisal Naseem, who served as Vice President in the last Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) administration, would be eligible for the allowance, as he is the only Vice President yet to have served the full five year term. 

Under the Former Presidents' Protection and Benefits Act, a president convicted of a criminal offence committed while in office will lose all protection and benefits from the time of conviction, as will their spouse. With the proposed inclusion of vice presidents in the Act, the same rule will apply to them.