President Mohamed Muizzu has expressed astonishment over accusations levelled against him by former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, including claims of collusion with convicted former Vice President Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Ghafoor. The allegations against the Muizzu administration, which have emerged from rallies organised by the People’s National Front (PNF)—a breakaway faction of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) established by Yameen—have intensified in recent weeks.

Rallies organised by the PNF have seen its members, including President Yameen, levelling serious allegations against President Muizzu and his administration. The PNF has become a strong critic of the Muizzu administration, with President Yameen alleging that President Muizzu had colluded with former Vice President Ghafoor, who was convicted of embezzling state funds in the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) scandal.

President Yameen has accused President Muizzu of having close connections with Adheeb and being the mastermind behind efforts to keep him jailed. However, during an interview with local media Sangu TV, President Muizzu expressed shock over these allegations and denied them.

Responding to allegations that he received money from Adheeb to spy on President Yameen, President Muizzu firmly denied the claims, stating, “I have never spied on anyone, and I would never do such a thing.” He also refuted accusations that he had received funds from anyone or that he and Adheeb were close friends, clarifying that their only interactions were during cabinet meetings when he served as Housing Minister in the 2013-2018 Yameen administration.

“Those providing information to him [President Yameen] are feeding him outright falsehoods. I am astonished that he believes these fabrications,” President Muizzu said. He added that he had fulfilled all tasks assigned to him by President Yameen during his tenure as Housing Minister and had worked diligently to help Yameen secure a second term in the 2018 presidential elections.

President Muizzu also expressed shock at allegations from President Yameen that he had orchestrated efforts to keep him imprisoned. He stated that he had always stood by President Yameen, particularly during his trial under the previous administration. President Muizzu that he had pleaded with former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to drop the charges against Yameen and secure his release, adding, “The messages making these requests are on my phone.”

President Muizzu also stated that President Yameen’s freedom is a result of his not exerting undue influence on the judiciary. He noted that he only learned about the hearings in Yameen’s case at the Criminal Court through the media.

President Muizzu added that he entered the presidential race only after all efforts to secure the presidency for Yameen had failed. He emphasised that he had supported Yameen until the very end and that his first call upon winning the 2023 presidential election was for Yameen’s release.

“From the past to the present and in the future, what remains within my heart for him [President Yameen] is respect,” President Muizzu added.