The main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has refuted claims by President Mohamed Nasheed that the former government seized property and assets of former President Ibrahim Nasir.
At a press conference today, DRP Spokesperson Ibrahim “Mavota” Shareef said it was proven in court that Nasir misappropriated state funds.
“The court made a valuation of those funds and took his property legally as compensation,” he said, adding that Nasheed was misleading the public on the issue.
He added the head of state making such statements was not in the public interest.
Although Nasir was found guilty of embezzlement, he continued, the former government gave back his home, Velaanage, for free.
“[But] Nasir announced that he would sell the house. When he made the announcement, the government requested that he sell it to the government instead of selling it to a member of a public,” he said.
Shareef said he worked at the property claims division of the court that handled Nasir’s case and it was revealed that he had developed resorts from government funds.
The former government did not create a commission to investigate Nasir, he said.
“It was proven in court that Velaanage, many resorts under Ibrahim Nasir’s name and many plots in Male’ were bought from state funds,” he said. “If these things are given back today, there won’t be any assets left for the government.”
In his weekly radio address on Friday, President Nasheed paid tribute to Nasir with the first anniversary of his death approaching.
One year ago today, Nasir’s body was flown back from Singapore where he had been living in exile for 30 years and given a state burial with full honours.
The president said Nasir’s “honour and dignity” was damaged, different stories were told about him in the past 30 years and his property was seized.
“I am saying his property has been appropriated because the government took Ibrahim Nasir’s house, Velaanage,” he said. “And the government has now constructed a large building there. Velaanage is the ancestral home of that family. The Velaanage family is the most ancient and oldest family in the country.”
He added the family’s genealogy went back at least 700 years and Velaanage has been in the family for that period.
Shareef said DRP condemned the president indicating that he wanted to give a property of the state back.
He added the property was not registered to former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom or his family members, but as a property of the government.
The president said it would give him great pleasure to name the office complex in Velaanage in Nasir’s honour and put up official documents of Nasir’s reign for public viewing.
“That way, people will know how things went on during his rule, how he ruled and how he made decisions,” he said.
The DRP spokesperson said the party did not object to naming the office building in Nasir’s honour, but would not support giving it back “for a third time”.
The party would welcome releasing documents from Nasir’s government, he said.
“The main thrust of my argument is that while there are important social, economic and health problems, instead of taking measures to deal with it, the government is focusing on things done by the former government,” he said.
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