Pres Yameen, not a good judge of character: Abdul Raheem

President's special advisor Abdul Raheem Abdulla on Sunday, has said the former President Abdulla Yameen is not a good judge of character.

Abdul Raheem said the former President had acknowledged he was not the best judge of character during his final presidential address after his 2018 presidential election defeat.

During the PN panel discussion on Sunday, Abdul Raheem said that the former president still has not learned those who are loyal to him.

He also questioned the intentions of those who have allied behind Yameen.

Abdul Raheem claimed that Yameen's current close associate, the former Police Commissioner Hussain Waheed was in charge of Maldives Police Service when an assassination attempt was made on Yameen.

"Back then Yameen told us he had not received any intelligence reports for nine months, all of which were withheld by Waheed as the commissioner, and subsequently relayed the information to former Vice President Adeeb. Waheed was terminated due to this," Abdul Raheem said.

Abdul Raheem also questioned the intention of former Minister of Technology Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal. According to Abdul Raheem, Maleeh, who was a minister when efforts for Yameen's release were rampant, continued to label the former president as a 'thief'.

"Look, Maleeh said if Yameen had received a second presidential term in 2018, injustice in the Maldives would heigthen," Abdul Raheem said.

The special advisor to President Muizzu also said Yameen was incarcerated when the then local council election dawned. Abdul Raheem said the coalition's leadership vigorously campaigned during the election.

"We were working diligently. When Dr. Muizzu was elected as Male' City Mayor, the former commissioner had continued to work against them," Abdul Raheem claimed.

He also questioned about the absence of Yameen's wife, Fathimath Ibrahim, and son, Zayn Abdulla Yameen's absence from PPM/PNC's protests calling for Yameen's release.

"Here are the loyalists. Not the wife, nor the son showed any fealty. I am speaking from experience, and it impacted us significantly. We made great sacrifices for the cause, and we endured very difficult times."

Yameen was sentenced to jail for 11 years on December 25th, 2022 after he was found guilty of money laundering and graft charges in the lease of V. Aarah for tourism development.

Due to his criminal sentences, Yameen was disqualified from the recent presidential election. Following his disqualification, the PPM/PNC coalition fielded former Male' City Mayor Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, who won defeated MDP's candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who was seeking re-election.

Not long after Muizzu was elected as the next president, Yameen exited PPM to form a new political party.

The former president is aided by former Police Commissioner Waheed, former Vice President Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, and Maleeh Jamaal at the forefront.