Maumoon Denies Yameen’s Allegations of Bribing Judges, Considers Legal Action
Former Presidents Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and Abdulla Yameen. | Photo: President’s office
Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has denied allegations made by his half-brother, former President Abdulla Yameen, accusing him of bribing Supreme Court judges, describing the claims as “unworthy behaviour” and stating that he is considering legal action.
In a statement issued yesterday, Maumoon’s office said the allegations spread by Yameen amounted to misinformation. “It is unworthy behaviour for someone who has been the President of the Maldives to disseminate such misinformation in a society that holds no truth. President Maumoon is contemplating legal action in response to Yameen’s comments,” the statement read.
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Maumoon’s office stressed that the Supreme Court ruling of 1 February 2018, which ordered the release of political detainees and the reinstatement of 12 MPs, was unrelated to him.
“President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has never committed any act of bribing judges to obtain a court order or to influence any other decision from the Supreme Court of Maldives,” the statement said.
Responding directly to Yameen’s accusations, the statement was quoted as saying: “No judge in any court in the Maldives, whether during Yameen’s time in office or before or after, has ever given bribe money or anything else on behalf of Maumoon.”
The office further assured the public: “On behalf of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, [we] would like to assure all Maldivians that he has never committed any act that violates the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Maldives.”
Yameen, in an interview with local news outlet Adhadhu, alleged that Maumoon and his son Ahmed Faris Maumoon bribed Supreme Court judges, with the funding of businessman and politician Abdulla Jabir, to influence the court’s ruling. He claimed the verdict undermined his administration by weakening his parliamentary majority.
The 1 February 2018 decision plunged the Maldives into political turmoil, prompting Yameen to declare a 15-day state of emergency and order the arrest of two Supreme Court judges, Maumoon, and other opposition figures. Maumoon was later convicted of obstruction of justice for refusing to hand over his mobile phone during the investigation and sentenced to 19 months in prison.
Yameen himself is facing ongoing legal challenges. In 2022, he was convicted of corruption and money laundering in a separate case, which initially barred his candidacy for public office in 2023. The Supreme Court later overturned that verdict, but he remains on trial in another case.
