Former High Court judge, Abbas Shareef has been appointed as President Abdulla Yameen’s attorney.

Shareef’s appointment was made public after he joined a press conference held by the president’s legal team on Monday, where they denied reports linking the incumbent president to illegal oil trade.

The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) had, on September 3, held a press conference where they linked Yameen to a local company involved in illegal oil trade, after filing a case at the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

At the conference, Shareef reiterated that they are seeking charges against main opposition MDP and private broadcaster RaajjeTV, for airing the party’s press conference.

According to Yameen’s legal team, this was an attempt to ‘slander’ him and ‘a direct attack on his electoral rights’.

Shareef had assisted in freeing Yameen in 2010, when he was arrested during former President Mohamed Nasheed’s administration. While he had assisted the now legal affairs minister Azima Shakoor then, he was not present during the court proceedings.

While Shareef was appointed to the High Court in 2011, he was later transferred to the court’s southern branch. However, he chose to resign in 2015 due to health complications.