Maldives' president's frozen accounts: over MVR 100 million seized
Police issued a statement on Saturday, after questioning the former president on Saturday
Former President Abdulla Yameen speaks to the press after leaving the police headquarters on Saturday
Maldives Police Service (MPS) has confirmed the freezing of the bank account’s linked to former President Abdulla Yameen, revealing that over MVR 100 million has been frozen.
Police questioned Yameen on Saturday, over money deposited to his private bank account during the 2018 presidential campaign.
In a statement released after, MPS noted that it “is investigating reports forwarded by state institutions that allege former president Abdulla Yameen conducted illicit financial transactions while he was president.”
Noting that it has received details of a number of accounts opened under Yameen’s name, police said that its investigation shows that large sums of money had been deposited to these accounts during his five-year term as president.
Police added that over MVR 100 million has been frozen, since launching the investigation.
While Yameen was summoned to police for questioning on Saturday, police said that the former president is fully cooperating in the investigation.
It added that Yameen had expressed intent to keep doing so, until the investigation concludes.
While Yameen was summoned for questioning regarding the money deposited to his account during the 2018 presidential campaign, police’s recent statement shows that the investigation goes deeper.
The former president has faced multiple corruption allegations throughout his tenure, including receiving millions of dollars through Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), the company implicated in the biggest embezzlement case in the Maldives’ history.
The Anti-Corruption Commission had, back in November 2017, confirmed that USD 1 million was transferred to Yameen’s private account through MMPRC.
Al Jazeera had, in 2016, exposed the massive corruption including theft, bribery and money laundering in its award-winning documentary ‘Stealing Paradise’.
Speaking to the media after being questioned, Yameen said that he had spent around MVR 22 million for his reelection campaign.
