Male’, Maldives – President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has said that he would not make a deal to free the Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and that he would only consider lowering his sentence through a presidential pardon after all the court proceedings are over.
Speaking at the “Fashaa Iru” program of Raajje TV this morning, President Solih told that the constitution was very clear on how the president of the country needs to act with people serving their sentences and at the most he would only be able to give a reduction in sentence and that he can’t give a presidential pardon to former president Yameen.
President Solih also stated that he could only reduce a sentence once a convicted person had completed all the court processes. He pointed out that the Former President Yameen has cases in both lower courts and superior courts and that he could only do something about it once all cases have been finished by the Supreme Court.
The Former Maldives president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for money laundering in November 2019 with a fine of USD 5 million over receiving USD 1 million of government money through a private company as part of a deal to lease a number of tropical islands for hotel development.
While President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has said he cannot do anything regarding the Former President Yameen’s case, President Solih had given a presidential pardon to registered sex offender Ibrahim Rasheed (Hora Ibbe) in December 2018.
In 2013, 45-year-old Ibrahim Rasheed was charged for conducting sexual activities with a 17-year-old girl and was slapped with a 10-year prison sentence. Hoara Ibbe was supposed to be released on 2023, President Solih reduced his 10-year sentence and released him on December 2018.
