Self-exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed on Wednesday urged outgoing Maldives governor Azeema Adam to volunteer a statement to an independent investigation into president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom's stunning admission of his personal link to the largest corruption scandal in the country's history.
"MMA Governor Azeema resigns days following President Yameen's confession to accepting laundered ill gotten funds. Call upon the former Governor to volunteer a statement to an independent investigation," Nasheed said on Twitter.
Azeema had announced her decision to step down from her post to move to the US with her husband who was recently appointed as the new Permanent representative of the Maldives to the United Nations (UN).
Nasheed's comments come days after president Yameen speaking during a ceremony held Monday evening to open a new PPM camp in the capital Male, admitted that the "money brought to my house was definitely illegitimate", referring to the millions stolen from state coffers by his former deputy Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Ghafoor.
Maldives Media and PR Corporation (MMPRC) had mediated the leasing of over 59 different tourist hotels, resorts and yacht marinas out of which 53 had been leased through an agreement with the tourism ministry.
The official audit report into the scandal, had revealed that over USD79 million had been embezzled through the state tourism promotion company.
The funds received by MMPRC was distributed through a private company with strong links to the former vice president.
Both Adheeb and the former MMPRC head Abdulla Ziyath have been convicted and sentenced to prison over the scandal.
During the rally, president Yameen had admitted that the scandal had proven that the money brought to his own by his ex-deputy was illegitimate.
"The cash boxes were not just brought in to Dhoovehi [Yameen's residence]. Every MP we wanted to elect to the parliament was funded by Adheeb. So the cash that came in to my house was definitely illegitimate. So if the lawmakers believe as I believe than they must resign immediately," the president had said.
"They are accusing me of getting a peice of that money. Yes. Al Jazeera only saw the boxes filled with cash that were brought into my house. They ignored everything else. So if I want to save my integrity and clear my conscience I must recover the stolen funds."
Opposition lawyer Hisaan Hussain during a joint opposition press conference said president Yameen must be investigated for the confession that the MMPRC funds had been brought to his own house.
"President Yameen has repeatedly admitted to what he has done with the funds. We are very concerned that the relevant institutions have thus far failed to investigate him. We are demanding the president to reveal the numbers. Because he himself has claimed that he knew about the whole thing," Hisaan stressed.
Ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) meanwhile had defended and accused the opposition of "twisting" president Yameen's admission.
"His comments had been in connection to Will Jordan, the Al Jazeera reporter who had been behind the expose Stealing Paradise. This Will Jordan had been employed by former president Mohamed Nasheed's government to cover-up the many atrocities committed at the time," the statement read.
The documentary released by Al Jazeera had brought the scandal to international limelight.
Government had completely rebuffed the 'unsubstantiated' evidence which the Doha based broadcaster claims to have uncovered in the expose.
"If you listen to the president's entire speech, he only meant that if the money he received was stolen from the state, then everybody who had ever received money from Adheeb must be scrutinized," the PPM statement said.
