President Abdulla Yameen wants to “shut down” opposition Jumhoree Party (JP) leader Qasim Ibrahim, says Kinbidhoo MP Abdulla Riyaz, the party’s deputy.

Riyaz said this in a tweet on Saturday following government raids on resorts owned by Qasim’s Villa Group.

Riyaz also accused President Yameen of changing the Constitution to bar Qasim from contesting the presidential election, and convicting him of crimes he didn’t commit.

He said this regarding the Constitutional amendment which barred anyone over the age of 65 from contesting the presidential election, and Qasim’s prison sentence of three years and 12 months on a bribery conviction.

He also noted that the government has frozen numerous Villa accounts and nullified agreements with the group.

The government has taken back many islands given to Villa, as well as Kaadedhdhoo Airport. Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) has also frozen Villa accounts after claiming it owed the State more than MVR 2.5b.

In the past few days, police and Customs officials have been searching Villa resorts to confiscate “illegally obtained” liquor.