Supreme Court asked to remove president from power

The Supreme Court has been asked to temporarily remove President Abdulla Yameen from office, to rule that he has broken the law and is unfit for office.

Former president Mohamed Nasheed said that the country’s four opposition leaders, including himself, have filed a case with the Supreme Court to remove Yameen from office for corruption and theft.

“President Maumoon, Honorable Gasim, Uz Ali Zahir and I have filed a case to Supreme Court about President Yameen’s corruption and theft. We have asked the SC to remove him from his position,” Nasheed tweeted.

At a news conference in Malé on Sunday MP Ibrahim Solih said corruption and embezzlement had become rife under Yameen’s presidency and that people’s rights were being violated because independent institutions were powerless.

He said the opposition coalition went to the Supreme Court because parliament, which has the power to remove a president from office, had become incapable of functioning.

The Supreme Court petition, a copy of which has been seen by the Maldives Independent, contends that Yameen’s government has “committed grave acts of corruption, theft, and appropriation of State owned properties and funds.”

It asserts that laws have changed under Yameen’s government “paving the way for corruption and reaping unjust enrichments for political gains.”

Yameen has “overreached and abused the executive authority vested in him as president and sought unjust enrichment. To this effect, it is apparent that President Yameen continues to appropriate land, sea and the natural resources of the Maldives.

“…the Auditor General, Prosecutor General, Anti- Corruption Commission and the Maldives Police Service under the Minister of Home Affairs, who are nominated and appointed by the President with the consent of the Parliament have failed to impartially and without fear, favor or prejudice to stop President Yameen from appropriating State funds and properties.”

The Supreme Court has also been asked to establish a special committee to investigate the corruption allegations.