Supports hold demonstration, call for ex-President Yameen’s release

Supporters of former Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom have staged a demonstration to call for his release.

The demonstration was held at the Alimas Carnival in Male’ City last Wednesday night.

Yameen is embroiled in the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) embezzlement scam, and was ordered to jail pending the outcome of his money laundering trial by Criminal Court on February 11.

Yameen has been charged with both money laundering and providing false testimony to State investigators following Maldives Police Service’s investigation into the USD 1 million - believed to be embezzled funds in the MMPRC scam – deposited to his account at the Maldives Islamic Bank (MIB) by SOF Private Limited.

He was transported from his cell at the Special Protection Unit of Maafushi Prison to Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) at approximately 4:30 pm last Wednesday, and is currently hospitalized at the Cardio Department of IGMH.

With the news of his hospitalization, a crowd of his supporters gathered inside the IGMH, and the police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd.

IGMH reports Yameen was brought in at the request of Maldives Correctional Service for a doctor’s appointment.

Yameen’s attorney, Abdulla Shiyaz confirms the request for medical attention did not come from Yameen.

The demonstration on Wednesday night was attended by senior officials of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and People’s National Congress (PNC) as well as a number of his supporters, who called to the State authorities for his release.

Money Laundering and Terrorism Funding Act prescribes a prison sentence of 5-15 years and a fine MVR 100,000 – MVR 1 million, or a prison sentence of 5-15 years and a fine no more than five times the amount laundered.