Yameen's lawyers stand against PCR testing mandated to meet client

Lawyers of incarcerated Former President Abdulla Yameen have spoken against having to take PCR testing in order to meet with their client, who is serving a five-year prison sentence.

In a press conference held by the jailed ex-president’s lawyers on Tuesday, Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed accused the incumbent administration of hindering and obstructing their work.

Jameel, who continues to assert that the charges against Yameen were politically influenced, raised concerns over the authorities obstructing lawyers from meeting the ex-president “deliberately” each time they try to meet with their client. The lawyers have since showered multiple excuses to get out of conducting PCR testing.

As such, the last time Yameen’s lawyers had tried to schedule a meeting with him, they were told to provide the results of PCR testing for Covid-19, 48 hours prior, by the Maldives Correctional Service.

Jameel questioned why senior government figures are not required to conduct PCR testing before they travel to residential islands and asserted that the corrections authority must make these arrangements.

According to safety guidelines set by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), a negative PCR certification is required 72 hours prior, if individuals wish to travel from an island where a community transmission has been confirmed, to another, for necessary services. All expenses needed for testing is required to be settled by those traveling or their affiliated companies.

Also speaking during the presser, lawyer Adam Asif targeted several accusations towards HPA, in having compiled the guidelines regarding PCR testing, highlighting the possibility that the authority is attempting to mix up their test results and place the lawyers’ team in quarantine illegally.

The lawyers’ claims come at a time the Commissioner of Prisons, Ahmed Mohamed Fulhu has assured that the corrections authority is ready and willing to transfer Yameen to Malé Prison in order to pave an opportunity to meet his lawyers, since they are refusing to conduct PCR testing as mandated.

As such, speaking on RaajjeTV’s ‘Fala Surukhee’ programme, the Commission of Prisons revealed that lawyers were informed regarding amendments to HPA guidelines and noted that the required permit and PCR testing is requested at HPA, through the authority.

Ahmed asserted that the Home Minister himself has to undergo PCR testing prior to visiting prison facilities, and that the entire procedure had been explained to Yameen’s lawyers.

The Commissioner of Prisons went on to highlight that they have in no way obstructed the jailed ex-president nor his lawyers from meeting him and neither has the home ministry.

The corrections authority informed the lawyers’ team of their willingness to bring their client to Malé Prison for a meeting, via a letter on Wednesday. However, the legal team is yet to respond to it, said Ahmed, who also noted that a telephone conversation regarding the matter was also held with the team.

Ahmed also stated that MCS is willing to make arrangements to extend meeting hours for the ex-president and his lawyers, and expressed that other such opportunities will be provided for him including allowing lawyers to bring their own laptops to the meetings.

These are arrangements that have not been offered for any other convict, said Ahmed, who noted that arrangements will be made once the Prosecutor General’s Office and courts order it.

Yameen was slapped with a five-year prison sentence and fined with USD five million to be paid within six months, during November 2019 after being found guilty of laundering state funds through Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC).