Central Maafannu MP Ibrahim Rasheed has said that he will file a perjury case against former Vice President Ahmed Adheeb after Adheeb testified at Criminal Court that he met MP Rasheed to negotiate R. Fuggiri island leasing deal.
Former President Abdulla Yameen is facing two charges of bribery and money laundering in relation to the leasing of Fuggiri island for resort development. He is accused of accepting $1.1 million in bribes through Ahmed ‘Krik’ Riza and using Sun Construction and Engineering and Sun Investment to launder the funds.
Sun Investment and Sun Construction Company have been charged with money laundering, while Ahmed Krik Riza has also been charged with money laundering and intermediary in bribery.
Testifying in the case, Adheeb, who was the Tourism Minister at the time of the transaction, said that MP Rasheed was present at the first meeting with the powerful Indian businessmen who were running the Dubai company.
MP Rasheed told local media that Adheeb had lied in the hearing yesterday as a prosecution witness. He said he would send a letter to the Criminal Court judge explaining the matter.
MP Rasheed said he was acting as the Maldives representative of the company that bought the island but did not go to the Tourism Ministry. He also said that Adheeb had violated the privilege of a member of parliament.
He also told that it was him who exposed and whistleblew about the corruption of the case. The case filed with the ACC and the statements given will still be there and he has not been questioned in the case, he said.
He alleges that the statements made by Adheeb yesterday were politically motivated. MP Rasheed is one of 13 MPs who left the MDP and joined the new party, The Democrats, led by the former president Nasheed.
