MDP intended to keep Yameen jailed for 10 years: Falah

People's National Congress (PNC) Parliamentary Group (PG) Leader Ibrahim Falah has said tonight that if opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) had won last year's presidential election, then former President Yameen would still be in prison.

He alleged that MDP's intention was to keep Yameen in prison for ten years.

Speaking at a PNC rally held last night, Falah said that when incumbent President Dr Mohamed Muizzu had won last year's election, Yameen had been able to sleep in his own bed instead of in prison that very night.

"Now he is free [from prison]. Otherwise, if MDP had won the election, Yameen would still be in jail. MDP's intention is to keep Yameen jailed even for the next ten years," Falah said.

After President Muizzu won the election last September 30, he had had Yameen transferred to house arrest on the next day. Yameen, who had been serving an 11 year prison sentence for money laundering and bribery, had been transferred to house arrest on last year's October 1 by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on the direct request of President Muizzu.

President Muizzu extended thanks to then President Solih at the time for having authorized the transfer, saying that Solih had done so in national interest.

Falah said in his speech that it later became evident that there were valid reasons behind why MDP wanted to keep Yameen in prison for ten years, alluding to financial transactions that had taken place when Yameen had been serving as President.

Falah claimed that Yameen himself had spoken of USD 5 million which Saudi Arabia had given for the party's campaigns during 2019's parliamentary elections, when Yameen had been in office as President, adding that MPs who had served then can bear witness to this fact.

"This is not a lie. Five million dollars, in Maldivian currency that's MVR 77 million. We don't know where even this is. The people are raising questions because in reality, it would take about MVR 80 million to build a 12 storey building on a 3,400 sqft land in Male'," Falah questioned the means through which Yameen had carried out construction of his private residence.

He stated that when such large buildings are completed without even taking any loans while serving as President would give rise to questions and doubts in people's minds.

"It is not a good look for leaders like that to do this with Maleeh on one side, and Jameel on the other. It is disgraceful," Falah said of the current People's National Front (PNF) rallies led by Yameen, where there is strong criticism of the incumbent government.

Falah recalled how Yameen generally criticizes members of the current government and insults them by calling them uneducated.

"During his administration, we were considered educated. But uneducated when in Dr Muizzu's presidency. I have no idea how this is happening. In his [Yameen's] presidency, I was also elected to parliament. In less than a year after I was elected, I was appointed as PG leader of the party [Progressive Party of Maldives]. He himself [Yameen] appointed me," Falah said.

"But today, he doesn't see it as right that I am PG Leader in Dr Muizzu's government."

Falah then spoke of how Yameen had acted towards current Speaker of Parliament Abdul Raheem Abdulla. Falah said that Yameen had then considered Abdul Raheem to be very competent, in fact having appointed him to lead PPM and PNC both when Yameen had been in prison.

"Today, when he is Parliament Speaker, he's claimed to be incompetent. So in reality, Yameen needs to stop speaking nonsense such as you would to a child. Even if it is President Yameen, if he is to say things as you would to a child, then, like children, we will end up having to laugh at him," Falah said.