If there is an allegation of bribery relating to the dispute regarding the delimitation of the maritime boundary of the Exclusive Economic Zones of the Maldives and the Chagos Archipelago, it should be investigated and he is ready to answer, President Ibrahim Mohammed Solih has said.
The President’s remarks come amid allegations by Maafannu Central constituency MP Ibrahim Rasheed (Bondey) that the Maldivian government supported Mauritius in its claim to sovereignty over the Chagos Islands under a USD 500 million deal.
Asked about the matter at a press conference with ministers yesterday after the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) ruled in favor of Maldives, the President said that if there is any kind of allegation against anyone in the government, it should be submitted to the appropriate institutions to look into and he will respond to such matters.
However, it is certain that none of the current ministers will have participated in such a deal, he said.
“Of course, neither I nor anyone here would do such a thing. They would not have participated in such a deal. There is that certainty,” he said.
International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) sided with the Maldives in the dispute with Mauritius surrounding the delimitation of the maritime boundary of the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of the Maldives and the Chagos archipelago, awarding a bigger portion to the Maldives.
In its judgement, ITLOS rejected Mauritius’ argument that Blenheim Reef should be considered as a base point in drawing the equidistance line.
