PPM indicates it will file request to arrest Gayoom

Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) has indicated that it intends to file a case in Maldives Police Service (MPS) against former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, stating that the former President had attempted to influence the Courts.

The ruling party said this in a press conference on Saturday evening.

PPM Deputy Leader and Fonadhoo MP Abdul Raheem said Gayoom had conspired with Supreme Court Justice Ali Hameed to influence the other Justices of Supreme Court, as reported by Zaidhul Ameen, his former associate.

Stressing that no individual is above the law, MP Raheem said that it was clear from Zaidhul Ameen’s statement that this had occurred when President Gayoom and President Abdullah Yameen were contesting leadership of PPM.

PPM statement

Raheed said this was a glimpse into how much the former President would have interfered in his 30-year reign.

Following this press conference, they had released a statement calling on authorities to investigate the case.

In response to this, Gayoom's associate Abdul Aleem tweeted a statement Zaidhul Ameen released previously. In this statement, Ameen stated that Police had attempted to get a statement from him against President Gayoom, which was issued in 2017.

Zaidhul Ameen's statement

In 2017, Zaidhul Ameen was arrested on charges of conspiring with others to blackmail several individuals using a video and planning to benefit financially and politically using the said video.

The statement released at the time said that Police was not able to bring forth any evidence tying him to the said crime. Then Police had probed him on the missing hard drive from PPM offices and a video on it. He said in the statement Police had tried to get him to implicate President Gayoom in the crime.