Gayoom never obtained illegal, undue advantage for anyone: Gayoom

The lawyer of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Mohamed Waheed Ibrahim (Waddey) has responded to claims that Gayoom misused public funds when he was President, to obtain undue advantage for some people.

A statement issued by Waheed yesterday said that during his thirty years as President, Gayoom acted in line with the powers accorded to him as President by the Constitution and laws.

This statement comes subsequent to repeated accusations by Rozaina Adam, of Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), that the former President misused public funds while in office.

Rozaina said on Twitter that the audit report of Presidential Palace, Theemuge, had revealed that members of Gayoom’s family had spent excessively from the budget of Theemuge, in violation of the law.

Rozaina has targeted verbal attacks at Gayoom not only on Twitter, but also at the Parliament.

Gayoom’s lawyer said, however, that not even the Presidential Commission created for the purpose of investigating the illegal activities of Gayoom’s government, could prove that any illegal activities in fact took place during that time.

He said that the expenses made by Gayoom’s family from the budget of the Presidential Palace were passed by the Parliament, and made ‘according to regulations’.

“When Gayoom left the post of President, detailed documents pertaining to all the expenses made by Gayoom when he was President, were filed at the Presidential Palace. It is as clear as the mid-day sun, that the reason for the aforementioned Parliament Member to spread such lies, is that the party she represents is losing support at a fast rate,” says the statement.