COLOMBO, Oct 3, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – The outgoing strongman president of the
Maldives, Abdulla Yameen, faced allegations Tuesday that he received nearly
$1.5 million in illicit payments just before his surprise election defeat
last month.
The allegations that two cash deposits were made into a private account in
Yameen’s name came to light after local media reported that the Maldivian
Monetary Authority (MMA) had lodged a police complaint.
Yameen’s spokesman Ibrahim Muaz Ali denied any wrongdoing, saying that
Yameen maintained a separate account to receive election campaign funding. He
did not confirm or deny the amount of any deposits received.
Muaz said the governor of the MMA had assured the president that there was
no wrongdoing and that the bank’s Financial Intelligence Unit had withdrawn
their complaint to the police.
“President Yameen assures the people that his campaign had been conducted
in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations,” Muaz said, adding that
no campaign funds had been received from abroad.
Yameen relied heavily on China for political and financial support in the
nation of 340,000 Sunni Muslims, triggering concern in India, which has long
been influential in the Maldivian politics and the economy.
Beijing has been competing with New Delhi for influence in the region.
In neighbouring Sri Lanka, police are investigating allegations that
former president Mahinda Rajapakse received millions of dollars in campaign
funds from a Chinese state owned company in 2015.
Just before the Maldives’ September 23 election, a corruption watchdog
alleged that Yameen accepted lavish gifts from a billionaire developer who
was later leased two islands in the paradise archipelago without bidding for
them.
Yameen, whose five-year tenure was marked by the jailing of all his key
rivals, has denied any involvement in the alleged island-leasing scam, which
first came to light in a 2016 investigation by the Al Jazeera television
channel.
The main opposition candidate, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who defeated Yameen
in last month’s election, has asked him to ensure a smooth transition when he
is due to take over on November 17.