Maldives: Former President Abdulla Yameen, who ran the ‘India Out’ campaign in Maldives and was serving a sentence in a bribery case, has been released by the High Court there. This decision of the court has come before the parliamentary elections in Maldives on 21st April, from which many meanings are being derived. Yameen was serving sentence in corruption cases for 480 days. However, he was being given freedom to hold the rally. Let us tell you that Yameen’s Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) was part of the opposition alliance, which had started the ‘India Out’ campaign to take advantage of anti-India sentiments. It was Yameen who spread negativity against India and after his own punishment, made Mohammad Muizzu the presidential candidate.
What was the allegation against Yameen?
Yameen, who was serving a sentence of 480 days, was accused of taking bribe. The court had found Yameen guilty of taking a bribe of US $ 1.1 million and legalizing it in a resort lease transaction. On December 25, 2022, the court sentenced him to 11 years in prison and also imposed a fine of $5 million. Yameen appealed against this sentence in March 2023. The hearing on this started again in June 2023. Later the court overturned all the orders. The court has again ordered to present the case afresh and conduct the case.
According to the report, after Mohammad Muizzu became the President last year, Abdullah Yameen was taken out of jail and allegedly put under house arrest. However, despite this he was addressing public rallies. Now the court, while releasing Yameen, said that the case of bribery in the lease of Vavu Ara island will be prosecuted again.
Targeted at President Muizzu
Yameen had targeted President Muizzu a day earlier while addressing an election rally. Yameen said, Muizzu does not want him to be released more than MDP. However, now before the elections on April 21, the court’s decision came in his favor.
India Out campaign was run
It was Yameen who had launched the ‘India Out’ campaign in Maldives. He spread negativity against India and after his own conviction, made Mohammad Muizzu the presidential candidate. Maldives’ relations with India deteriorated under Yameen’s rule, as it moved closer to China by signing the Belt and Road Initiative and a free trade agreement with Beijing, further worsening relations with India. .
