President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has said the government does not have the policy to treat a particular prisoner differently from that of others.
President Solih made the remark answering a reporter in his first news brief since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The reporter asked if any leeway will be granted to jailed ex-president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Qayyoom. He further asked if the government has decided to discuss anything with Yameen in the current situation. In response to the reporter, president Solih said according to the law there are specific procedures to be followed in pardoning inmates. Thus, he will act upon and is following those procedures.
The president further said there is no particular preferential treatment for any inmate.
“There are certain procedures to be followed in pardoning inmates. I am following those procedures; and, I will continue to follow those procedures. I do not intend to treat a particular inmate differently from that of others,”, said president Solih.
Moreover, the president said he is in contact with the opposition leaders and that he continues to talk with the opposition, Peoples National Congress party's (PNC) chairman Abdul Raheem Abdulla.
“I am in contact with the opposition from time to time. However, I was unable to answer two calls of Abdul Raheem recently. Abdul Raheem is in contact with me regularly. During the last two days, I had two missed calls. Even if I could not answer, I do call back. Therefore, they talk to me regularly,”, said president Solih.
President Yameen is serving a jail term of five years on a case of money laundering and the opposition has been calling for his release.
Ex-president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Qayyoom
