The Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) endorsed People’s National Congress (PNC)’s presidential candidate Dr Mohamed Muizzu has indirectly denounced an investigation by local newspaper Adhadhu as a personal vendetta.
The investigation by Adhadhu looked into the irregularities in the deportation of Muizzu’s stepmother, a Sri Lankan citizen, in the months following the death of his father and the subsequent distribution of the deceased’s assets.
Produced as a video documentary, the investigation featured interviews with Muizzu’s stepmother, Gnei Skeelan, detailing events that led to her being blacklisted for alleged involvement in human trafficking and subsequently deported from the Maldives.
According to the documentary, the widow was compelled to leave the Maldives following a hastily convened court proceeding shortly after the death of Muizzu’s father, where Skeelan, in good faith, passed her inheritance to Muizzu.
Days following the court proceeding, her home in Sri Lanka was ransacked and she left the Maldives to assess the damage. Upon her return she found she had been barred from entering the Maldives.
In an interview for the documentary, former Attorney General and lawyer Dhiyana Saeed indicated that the deportation process was fraught with irregularities. She noted that Skeelan had not been provided with proper documentation detailing the allegations against her and was also denied the right to legal representation or an appeal in a court of law.
Saeed highlighted that the actions were in direct violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
The documentary also featured an interview with Mohamed Ahmed Hussain, Controller General of Maldives Immigration, who raised questions about the expedited nature of the deportation order, processed just two days before Skeelan’s planned return to the Maldives.
The investigation posits that Muizzu, who was the Housing Minister at the time, may have abused his position to secure the full assets of his inheritance from his late father, Sheikh Hussain Abdul Rahman, thereby dispossessing Skeelan, who had been married to Rahman for 13 years.
Responding indirectly to the allegations during a campaign rally in Fuvahmulah, Muizzu declared that he had never violated anyone’s rights and called for an impartial and independent investigation into the matter.
“I have never infringed upon anyone’s rights. I shall continue to maintain this stance. If there is a case to answer, official institutions should investigate it impartially and independently,” Muizzu stated.
Public response to Adhadhu’s documentary has been divided, with some criticising Muizzu’s actions while others question the timing of the publication as a smear campaign.
As of yet, no official body, including the Maldives Police Service, Immigration, or Foreign Ministry, has issued a response to the allegations raised in the investigation.