Rozaina responds to Gayoom

Thulusdhoo MP Rozaina Adam has responded to the statement issued last Friday by former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s lawyer, which said that Gayoom never misused the budget of Theemuge while he was President.

Rozaina, in her response to the statement by Gayoom’s lawyer Mohamed Waheed Ibrahim, expressed gladness that Waheed did not deny the allegations made against Gayoom in the audit reports of Theemuge.

She said that her accusations were based on the expenditures highlighted in the audit reports of Theemuge for 2009, 2007 and 2006.

This includes the use of the budget of Theemuge for the purchase of a diamond pendant worth SGD4,134 (MVR53,328.60) and a pendant worth SGD866 (MVR11,171.40) by Gayoom’s wife, Nasreena Ibrahim.

“In addition, flight tickets to the UK were purchased from the budget of Theemuge on 1 February 2007 for Nasreena Ibrahim and her friends, worth USD30,698 (MVR396,004.20). The documents also show that Nasreena took with her USD50,000 (MVR771,000) cash when she travelled to Dubai on 6 May 2007,” says Rozaina’s statement.

Rozaina said that she brought to the attention of the Maldivian people only a handful of the thousands of bills included in the audit report.

She pointed out that while Gayoom’s lawyer asserted in his statement that the expenses were legal, the audit report recommends that the expenses made by Gayoom on his close aides be reclaimed.

“I am dismayed that Gayoom’s lawyer believes that my accusations are motivated by political rivalry,” she said in her statement.

Gayoom’s lawyer said that the expenses made by Gayoom’s family from the budget of Theemuge while he was in office, were in line with the authority and choice accorded to him as President of Maldives by the Constitution and laws.