President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom stated on Tuesday night that all the funds used to finance development projects were lawfully acquired.
Speaking at the ceremony held in reclaimed suburb Hulhumale to showcase the progress of the government-spearheaded housing scheme 'Hiyaa', the president stressed that his administration has always placed emphasis on culture and religion, thus implying that he would not do anything against Maldivian values.
As testimony to his statement, President Yameen noted that his government has spent MVR 600 million to develop mosques, compared to the MVR 200 million spent by the previous government of Maldivian Democratic Party.
"Worshippers at the mosque do not question how President Yameen got this money. They know that these funds were acquired lawfully."
He went on to highlight the numerous development projects undertaken by his administration, asserting that all of them were financed legally.
While the president has asserted all development projects were financed in accordance with the laws and Islamic Shariah, the opposition has alleged that President Yameen was involved in the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) corruption case. The MMPRC scandal, which saw the embezzlement of MVR 1.2 billion of state funds, received as acquisition costs via island leases for resort development, is the largest case of corruption on record in Maldives.
However, President Yameen has maintained that he had had no knowledge of the MMPRC embezzlement case until it surfaced in late 2015.
The president further stated at the ceremony that the government's aim is to provide affordable housing to the youth and ensure that all necessary services are available in Hulhumale.
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