Qasim: Yameen deserves justice

Jumhoory Party (JP) leader Qasim Ibrahim states that the country’s opposition leader and former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has the right to a free and fair trial.

Yameen was sentenced to 11 years in prison on December 25th, last year, after he was found guilty of bribery and money laundering charges in connection to the sale of Vaav Aarah for resort development.

He has appealed the ruling - which would disqualify him from contesting the upcoming presidential election.

A hearing in the case was last held on July 5th.

The High Court said on Tuesday that it is “unable” to say when the next one will be scheduled.

Qasim, who had been part of the coalition which thwarted Yameen’s re-election bid in 2018, took to Twitter on Tuesday night to say that one of the fundamental purposes of the creation of the constitution was “to establish free and fair justice, and ascertain the rights and liberties of the people.”

He said that each and every citizen had the right to exercise the rights to the fullest, and that all citizens, including Yameen, had the constitutional right to a free and fair trial.

“The question now is, is the current administration, having now attained full powers, is still sticking to its promise in its journey to establish justice?” he asked.

The comments came after the top leadership of the PPM-PNC coalition met with Qasim earlier on Tuesday, at the behest of Yameen.

Qasim has been increasingly vocal in his criticism of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s administration since he rejected the president’s invitation to form a coalition for the upcoming presidential election.

His party decided in February to contest the election independently.