Fisheries Minister Dr. Mohamed Shainee has responded to Dunya Maumoon's urge to local authorities to release her father former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom from prison.
Dunya Maumoon, on Twitter made a plea to local authorities to release the now imprisoned former president and transfer him back home on Monday.
Dr. Shainee responded to Dunya Maumoon's tweet stating that the former president was " arrested on the charges of bribery and unlawfully bringing down a government (coup), so why should he be treated any different from other alleged criminals."
Fisheries Minister also added that the rumors by opposition about Gayoom is falsified and he has been uncooperative in police investigation so far. Dr. Shainee had also affirmed that the former head of state was granted lawyer privileges and even medical services if requested.
At the time of Gayoom's arrest, his daughter had criticized former president Mohamed Nasheed, stating the self-exiled ex-president is responsible for the arrest and detention of her father while praising the government's move to declare a state of emergency.
In her tweet, Dunya Maumoon had urged Maldives state to release her father while tagging noteworthy international figures such as US president Donald Trump, Indian premier Narendra Modi, UN's Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of Commonwealth Patricia Scotland along with UN's Human Rights Council head and vice president of European Union Commission.
"I urge them [government and authorities] to ensure proper access to his family, lawyers and medical care," she tweeted.
The former head of state is alleged with multiple criminal charges including bribing court judges and parliamentarians as well as the attempt to overthrow a legitimate government. In addition to this he is also alleged to devise segregation within security forces as well as attempt to influence judicial conduct.
However Gayoom had submitted a habeas corpus case to Criminal Court denying all allegations made on him.
