Yameen questions delay in action on Heena’s case even after media spotlight

Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has raised questions about why President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu is not taking action, even though the issue of corruption allegations against Chief Spokesperson at the President’s Office Heena Waleed has been brought to his attention by journalists.

Speaking to the audience at an event held by opposition People’s National Front (PNF) on Sunday night, Yameen said he was pleased that Muizzu had played his game in front of the President's Office on Sunday, having brought the media there.

Referring to the NSPA embezzlement, Yameen said that no minister could do anything without the president's permission on business matters, and that the TV station allegedly linked to NSPA was registered through the President's Office by a minister of the President's Office. Therefore, Yameen said that even if the president claims he didn’t know about it, it paves the path for questions to surface.

On Sunday, Muizzu spoke to select media outlets in front of the President's Office regarding the ongoing Housing Development Corporation (HDC) land theft scandal. When inquired about the allegations against Heena Waleed, who is accused of corruption, Muizzu said he had not received any information about it, and if he had, he would have submitted it to the relevant authorities for investigation.

Yameen has said that now that journalists have inquired about the matter, it must have come to Muizzu's attention. Yameen questioned why Heena is still in her position and why no action has been taken.

The former president said that Heena had committed theft for the incumbent and stressed that expensive equipment was acquired and land was leased to set up a TV station.

While Muizzu has stated that he has not received any information about the corruption allegations against Heena, documents claiming that Heena led a major corruption act from NSPA have been publicized on social media.

According to the documents related to the agreement, which was made through the Tender Board, two floors of the building were leased for NSPA to spend MVR 580,000 per month. Some sources have also revealed that under the deal, which allegedly includes a MVR 34.8 million corruption by NSPA, the Media House has also leased four floors from the same building. It is also reported that NSPA has cancelled the agreement due to widespread criticism.

In a statement issued by NSPA on 29 November 2024, following the publicization of reports about the building lease agreement between Maldives Media House and NSPA, it was stated that the reports being circulated by media houses about NSPA are false and contrary to the truth. They said that the transaction to find a building for the agency's operations was conducted in accordance with regulations in conjunction with the Ministry of Finance.

Further, NSPA on November 29 submitted the case to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for investigation.