President: Criminal sentences will be implemented, regardless of person

President Abdulla Yameen has said that the government will implement criminal sentences issued by the courts, regardless of the person who receives them.

The President made this remark while speaking at an event at Alimas Carnival grounds by the ruling coalition, Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), on Thursday night.

He said that it is the responsibility of the government to implement such sentences, and the government will not hesitate in its duties.

It is the responsibility of the Prosecutor General to charge people with criminal offences, and the President and the cabinet have no role in such matters, he said.

The President went on to say that the court process is made up of three stages, and assured that he would not influence any stage of this process in any way.

He referred to the allegations by opposition parties Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and Jumhooree Party (JP), that the government had violated the constitution, and urged them to take the matter to court to confirm their allegations.

He said that the government has not violated the constitution or any law, and that the public can be assured that it will not act outside the law in the future either.