Diamonds are forever: ‘Bribery’ MP hailed as gem by Maldives president
The MP admitted to carrying ‘sacks of money’ to the opposition.
18 Jul 2018, 9:00 AM
A ruling coalition MP who once admitted to bribery and called for the Maldives opposition to be exterminated was Wednesday likened to a gem by President Abdulla Yameen.
MP Mohamed Ismail was a lawmaker who understood the needs of his constituents and worked hard for them, Yameen said at a rally held in Ismail’s Hoarafushi constituency.
In April 2017 police launched a probe into an admission of bribery by Ismail, who claimed that he carried “sacks of money” to opposition MPs.
“I carried and distributed the money, and they all took it,” he said in 2016 during a heated parliament debate relating to the embezzlement of nearly US$80 million from the state-owned tourism promotion company.
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