President Abdulla Yameen has said that Joint Opposition presidential candidate Ibrahim Solih ‘does not have what it takes’ to recover the money embezzled from Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC).

Speaking in Th. Guraidhoo on Sunday, President Yameen said that the controversial Supreme Court order on February 1 had attempted to release jailed former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, who he said had been the most involved in the embezzlement scandal.

The President questioned whether the Joint Opposition’s work to free Adeeb would also result in their candidate Solih from recovering the stolen money.

He also said that people with such concern for corruption should also work to recover the MVR 1.57 billion lost from the ministries during now-main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s government.

While President Yameen made the accusation, the current administration has not determined that the money was taken for personal benefit.

While an audit report has confirmed that MVR 1.22 billion was stolen from the state marketing firm, former auditor general Niyaz Ibrahim has said that the amount would rise to MVR 3 billion if a proper investigation was conducted.

Al Jazeera’s documentary Stealing Paradise indicated that some of the money was taken to President Yameen’s home and Adeeb, his second Vice President, has claimed that he had been in charge of governing the state while President Yameen counted the money coming in.