Minister says BML coup partner; chief must resign
Shiyam added that BML could not take such an irresponsible step without the consent of the government.
Fisheries minister Ahmed Shiyam on Monday called on Bank of Maldives (BML) CEO Karl Stumke to resign immediately, saying the temporary change on Sunday to ban foreign transactions on Maldivian Rufiyaa cards was a coup attempt.
Addressing supporters at a gathering held at the ruling PNC camp in Male, Shiyam said BML is a bank that has the rights of many citizens, with all citizens depositing money there. The bank cannot take a decision that will harm the people, he added.
Noting that BML cards are relied upon by every citizen and business, Shyam said the bank's decision will:
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Things went to the point where the children who were studying abroad could not fulfil their needs
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The only source of dollars for small businesses was closed
Shiyam added that BML could not take such an irresponsible step without the consent of the government. The board members and all the BML personnel involved were the most prominent participants in the coup, he said.
"The people who were in charge of taking this decision by the Bank of Maldives were at the forefront of the financial coup. They should not be on the boards today. I think the CEO of BML should resign," he said.
When he said that, the people in the camp applauded him.
“I don't believe that a person who has decided to cause such great harm to the people of Maldives can be in the top position of the Bank of Maldives today,” he said.
Describing BML's decision as a grab on the people's necks, Shiyam said the economic council had been clearly telling the bank not to do so. The government was pleading with BML to find other ways without depriving the people of their rights, he said.
"The president was also doing a lot of work before that. Before that, he tried to talk things out. He was making decisions and giving instructions as the head of state for all the people. I saw that. So he transferred the [deputy] CEO [from the board]," he said.
"There should be more capable people [on the board]. The president doesn't have to tell us how to do these things every time. They have to find a way. Therefore, even the top official [of BML] should not be in office."
Shiyam's allegations against the bank said that one morning the bank officials prevented transactions outside the cards while the opposition MDP officials were holding a press conference. It was not a coincidence and it was a direct plan by some people behind the scenes, he said.
