Former President Abdulla Yameen has said that senior members of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) had switched to government coalition partner Jumhooree Party (JP) at a difficult time.

PPM members who recently joined JP include former Vice President Abdulla Jihad, former Home Minister Azleen Ahmed, former Villimale’ MP Ahmed Nihan, former Kelaa MP Ali Arif, former Dhaandhoo MP Ahmed Assad, former Inguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falah, and former PPM deputy secretary general Iqbaal Adam.

At a PPM event in Adh. Mahibadhoo, party leader Yameen said that these members had left PPM after he lost in the election, which is a time when the members should have begun work to strengthen the party. Highlighting their exemplary work in PPM, Yameen urged them to return to the party.

Currently, the Criminal Court is proceeding with the open hearings on Yameen’s money laundering trial. The court has recently heard the testimonies of witnesses presented by the state, except for former head of Anti-Corruption Commission Hussain Luthufee, who is in Malaysia and has refused to testify.

The Mahibadhoo event is the first time that Yameen visited the atolls after losing last year’s presidential election.