President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has continually stated that the stories being circulated about his stepmother are false. The president has also said that these stories are being spread with political motives to discredit him. He said this in an interview given to Public Service Media (PSM).
The president made these comments at a time news about the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) raiding the Maldives Media Council (MMC) following government instructions due to the controversy over the 'Skeelan' documentary receiving an award has been making headlines in several media outlets.
He gave the interview to share accurate information about the ongoing claims that his stepmother was not given any inheritance from his father's property.
The president asserted that he is not someone who ever discusses personal matters, especially detailed family issues, which he finds very difficult to share.
According to the president, after his father's passing, the inheritance matters were handled through the court process as per the usual procedure. He said that all of his father's assets in Sri Lanka, including three plots of land, buildings constructed on those lands, businesses, and all the money in his father's accounts in Sri Lanka, were given to his stepmother for free, without any compensation.
Additionally, the president said that his stepmother had stated that she had relinquished to him her entire half of the inheritance she was entitled to in Malé City, as the widow of his father.
The president further stated that the misleading stories being spread are false narratives politically motivated to discredit him, and that he has not done anything contrary to what he has said.
As the controversy over PSM showing a clip of the 'Skeelan' documentary related to President Muizzu's stepmother heated up, PSM issued a press release claiming that MMC had 'deliberately' shown a video that was contrary to PSM's editorial content and journalistic standards.
In addition to this, Ahmed Musthafa, who serves as the President of MMC, was initially dismissed from his position at PSM by the PSM board, but was later reinstated to his job.