Abdul Raheem says Yameen knows the government does not influence the courts

Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom knows best that the government does not influence the courts, his former closest associate and current Parliament Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla said on Wednesday evening.

The President is on a visit to A.A.Ukulhas, where PNC Chairman Abdul Raheem criticised previous governments. He urged youth to study what happened in earlier administrations while former leaders continue to criticise the current government.

Referring to Yameen, Abdul Raheem said he and several people in the PNC were directly involved in the previous government. He said a leader reaches power with the support of those around him, and that no one can govern alone. Abdul Raheem added that Yameen cannot regain power by working in isolation.

“Whether a bridge was built, a road was built, a port was built, land was dredged, now it is being said that one alone did all of it. The youth need to think deeply about this,” Abdul Raheem said.

He said he was not criticising the government due to any personal matter, but because he had a responsibility to explain the truth to the public.

Abdul Raheem then moved on to criticise Yameen’s PNF rallies, saying the people seated beside Yameen during his “sitting-room” meetings, nodding along to every word, were former Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and former Technology Minister Mohamed Maleeh Jamal. He described Maleeh and Jameel as individuals who had attempted to overthrow Yameen’s government during his administration.

Abdul Raheem’s criticism then shifted to former Police Commissioner Hussain Waheed, who has also been seen attending PNF rallies. Waheed was the police commissioner at the time the Finifenma speedboat explosion occurred. Abdul Raheem said their criticism of the government was unacceptable and urged the public to reflect on it.

He said President Muizzu’s campaign pledged not to promote injustice, and that the President is now acting accordingly.

“To execute justice is not cruelty. Failing to execute justice is wrong. Enforcing the law on everyone, without discrimination, is the most important responsibility of a ruler,” he said.

pic.twitter.com/KbDaWdJwQU

— PNC Secretariat (@pnc_secretariat) August 5, 2026

He added that the President is fulfilling that responsibility and that the country’s roads are safe today as a result. Development, he said, can only be achieved through security and stability, and the President is working in that direction. “Today, we can be certain that every Maldivian citizen will receive full justice.”

It is noteworthy that President Muizzu secured the presidential ticket while Yameen was serving an 11-year jail sentence for corruption and money laundering. Yameen was moved to house arrest shortly after Muizzu took office, and the High Court overturned his conviction on April 18, 2024, ordering a retrial.  

Before the retrial concluded, the relationship between Yameen and President Muizzu deteriorated. Evidence of tension emerged immediately after Muizzu’s election, Yameen reportedly showed frustration even on the day he was transferred to house arrest, maintaining distance from President Muizzu and Abdul Raheem.  

The rift traces back to the moment President Muizzu secured the PNC presidential ticket, a contingency plan activated because Yameen could not contest due to his conviction. Yameen had reluctantly endorsed Muizzu through his wife after the coalition senate rejected his call to boycott the election.

After President Muizzu won the presidency, the split widened. Yameen left the PPM - PNC coalition and formed his own party, publicly announcing the move on November 23, 2023. 

President Muizzu has repeatedly said he will not influence the courts when criticised for not releasing Yameen as promised. However, the government has faced accusations of judicial influence, including international criticism after the Supreme Court abruptly suspended three judges in February last year while hearing a case linked to government interests.

While President Muizzu and Yameen became rivals, rumours of deteriorating relations between Muizzu and Abdul Raheem started coming out following the sudden dismissal of Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal, Abdul Raheem’s son, in January last year. Abdul Raheem later acknowledged that relations between the two leaders had worsened, though the PNC maintained there was no tension.