Party mum on Yameen warning as it’s legal

Abdul Raheem Abdulla, who is temporarily in charge of PPM-PNC, has said that the party did not respond to the prison authorities' warning that the house arrest leniency granted to former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom may have to be revoked as it was a warning under the Prisons and Parole Act.

After Yameen was released under house arrest, the corrections have recently given him concessions to go out for his medical needs. The Corrections Department on Wednesday warned that the concessions could be lifted as Yameen is participating in PPM rallies and political activities.

The corrections said the concessions were given only for medical reasons under an agreement with Yameen.

The PPM has issued a statement on such notices issued by the corrections department in the past, but stayed silent about the latest warning. 

The PPM-PNC leadership held a meeting with the media before leaving for Addu on Thursday. The party's chairman Abdul Raheem said the party does not have to respond to a statement issued under the Prisons and Parole Act.

"If they issue a statement in accordance with the Prisons and Parole Act, I dont believe it is proper to respond to it. You know, they issued the statement [threatening Yameen] with reference to a law”.

Abdul Raheem, who is also the head of the transitional committee formed during the transition process, said the party has repeatedly said that the government is deliberately torturing Yameen.

When asked whether the warning by the corrections was in accordance with the law, which meant that Yameen acted illegally, he said he acted in accordance with the advice given by the corrections.

“But then they [the corrections] couldn't digest it,” he said.

Earlier, while serving a five-year jail sentence in the MMPRC case, the corrections department issued a warning statement after the PPM-PNC held a march calling for his release from house arrest. The PPM had issued a statement in response.

However, with no such statement being issued in Yameen's defence, questions have been raised as there have also been rumours that Yameen and Dr Mohammed Muizzu, who won the presidential election on a PPM-PNC ticket, are at loggerheads. However, the PPM-PNC has denied the allegations.

The Criminal Court sentenced Yameen to 11 years in prison and fined him USD 5 million on December 25 for accepting bribes and laundering the money in the V.Aarah lease case. After that: