Former President of the Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, has sent a letter to UK Prime Minister David Cameron appealing for pressure to be placed on President Mohamed Nasheed following “the escalation of attempts to harass and intimidate me and my family.”
Gayoom explained to the British Prime Minister that the strategy deployed by the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party during the presidential election campaign – which was actively supported by the Cameron’s party, the UK Conservatives – “was based predominately on attempting to smear my reputation, spreading disinformation, and baselessly accusing me of corruption and misappropriation of State funds.”
“All such allegations of corruption, mismanagement and misappropriation of funds and property are basedless and completely untrue, as are those of torture, repression, and unlawful detention during my presidency,” Gayoom wrote.
“Nearly two years after the MDP government assumed presidency, Nasheed and his government have failed to uncover a single shred of evidence to substantiate any of these allegations,” Gayoom added.
The latest episode, he wrote, involved “unsubstantiated allegations by an elderly man by the name of Ahmed Shafeeq that I had, during my tenure as President, ordered the murder of 111 dissidents.”
“In a book authored by this Shafeeq, which was ceremoniously released [on October 10] by Mohamed Nasheed himself, it is accused that I also ordered the man’s arrest and supposed torture in prison. In a country of just over 300,000, it is safe to assume that even one ‘missing person’ would not go unnoticed, let alone 111.”
Gayoom expressed concern to the British PM that Nasheed would attempt to have him arrested “despite my innocence”, and despite praise from election observers at the “smooth handover of power” and assurances of safety and privileges in the Constitution.
Instead, the former President claimed Nasheed’s government had “escalated its attempts to harass me” in the run up to the local council elections, despite his retirement from politics earlier in 2010.
“After the government’s defeat in last year’s parliamentary elections, the popularity ratings of the ruling MDP have fallen further in recent months as a result of the government’s failure to deliver on its campaign promises and its lack of respect for the law.”
“On the other hand,” Gayoom told the British PM, “I continue to enjoy the strong support, love and affection of the people, and have been voted by the public as ‘Personality of the Year’ in both years since stepping down from the presidency.”
Gayoom went on to state that Nasheed had not provided him with adequate security and that “for almost two years now, I have not been able to go to the mosque to perform my prayers on Fridays. My movement remains severely restricted.”
Minivan News attempted to determine the veracity of the (unsigned) letter with Spokesperson for the Former President, Mohamed Hussain ‘Mundhu’ Shareef, but had not received a response at time of press.
However, the UK High Commission in Colombo confirmed that the letter from the Former President was received in London, and a reply issued.
“The UK government follows events in Maldives closely. We believe that effective cross-party dialogue is essential to overcome the key challenges facing Maldives. We have expressed this view to both the government and the opposition,” the High Commission stated.
Press Secretary for President Mohamed Nasheed, Mohamed Zuhair, had not responded at time of press.
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Comment: Democracy derailed
Poor Gayoom. He should write a letter to Oprah. Maybe get on her show and squeal about how Mohamed Nasheed is giving him indigestion.
I wonder whether such a word as 'shame' exists in the Dictionary of Gayoom... I'm SIMPLY speechless that one could praise oneself so hard. Is there any way this letter could turn out to be a 'tongue-in-cheek' attention-grabbing event by a person of the highest narcissist order?
lol, getting personality of the year from sms votes. Great. You were the president for 30 years and Anni have won more award in 2 years than golhaa did in his whole regime.
If he continues to enjoy the strong support, love and affection of the people, why would he need so much security to go the mosque. I think this is the curious case of Gayyoom Buttons. he is growing older but becoming more childish every day.
nothing more to say. Gayyoom must be a sick person. International community knows how many person he took from thier sleeping beds midnight and never presented to justice or court. Gayyoom breaks every law of the country with the suppor of the military and police hanchman Adam Zahir. Anni ( Mohamed Nasheed) refuse to give Gayyoom justice, yes. that is allow and support the dictator to be charges immidiately after taking office. Anni has betrayed the public going agains his promises of getting justice for those who had been tortured and killed by Gayyoom regime. That was the biggest mistake of Anni and his MDP. now people dont trust Anni any more. We have to go after Gayyoom to give him justice that eh deserve.
'Since I stepped down from office'. hahaha. Gayoom, you silly old man, you didn't step down. You lost an election which resulted in your disgraceful removal from office.
I am convinced now that Gayoom is loosing his marbles.
This letter doesn't sound like something written by a sane man.
And why does he need security to go to Mosque when he is loved by so many. Seems he can't go to the Mosque because of security concerns, but can go to TV stations,and appear in DRP meetings.
And Personality of the year? Puleeeeese
maumoon gone dame made.. he should be put in mental hospital in Bangalore.
Poor Gayoom. You sad thing.
He has no shame or humility, denying that he tortured no one and had nothing to do with corruption is a big joke, even a 3 year old would laugh at this clown.
The worst thing about this guy is that he cannot keep his stupid mouth shut even when the people whom he tortured jailed and abused are treating him like a king, when they've got hold of power.
He does not deserve all this HIH THIRIKURUN when he is still unable to even acknowledge that compared to what he made his political opponents go through, he is like dracula in a blood bank.
Gayoom must be put on trial in Holland International Tribunal.
We must submit all persecuted peoples and let an International magistrate judge the mam.
No more bla, bla, bla !!!
I can't be the only Maldivian whose life has been affected by the dictatorship.
Letters don't fool those of us who live everyday wondering how our life, and our parents lives would have been markedly different but for the random detaining of bread-winners in the family - over crimes as severe as joking about His Holiness.
This man is shameless. He must be thankful that the present Government hasn't put him behind bars - or worse, spread out on a board half naked in the humid equatorial islands for entire days, for the mosquitoes to do their business.
He wouldn't be the first Maldivian to undergo such torture. Well, unless it is under the present regime.
Wow !
Fact is certainly stranger & crazier than fiction in this case !
The whole Gayoom saga is turning into a Hindhi drama ... who could even make this stuff up ?!
As an aside, I wonder where the letter came from ... is there a Maldives Wikileaks ??
Very sad that our former President has been driven to such a state. If he has committed any crimes he should be charged in court.
Hahahahhaaaaa. I'm having such a good laugh.I swear I never laughed so much for ages.Poor GB! If you guys have seen what I have seen you'll probably roast GB on a barbecue stove and feed him to the eels! Mwahahahahahhaaaa
Having wasted 30 years of the life and the potential of 300,000 people for personal benefit, all Maldivains should have the right to harass Gayoom. I am glad that it is working and Gayoom is feeling the heat.
Gayoom thinks he has to go to mosque for friday prayers only? Sheik Gayoom?
People of Maldives nicknamed him Golhaaboa. This is means robber of the poorest of poor. Doesn't he know the Prime Minister and Anni are "one for all and all for one". Hah hah.
Oh good lord someone shut this fellow up! Maldives is facing enough embaressment! Wonder who will be there to fill Maumoons shoes when hes gone? Umar Naseer? Srsly this made me LOL. Thanks Gay-yoom.:)
@Dr. Raamee
"People of Maldives nicknamed him Golhaaboa."
Fine! Noted! Digested! Filed and Purged!
How about the other half of Maldives?
Didn't they also make a decision to nickname someone else "ganjaboa"
You have to respect both type of Maldivians, I guess.
And the pot is calling the kettle's bum is too dark?
Insanity at it's peak!
I am ashamed to be called a Maldivian now which I have been proud of. Most of the freaks in here, who pretends to be the advocates of modern democracy, did not realize that rule of law and human rights is the driving force of democracy. How cavalier you people are?? Any allegation towards an individual is baseless if its not proven in a court of law. You people are no different than a gullible and uneducated people out there.
Maumoon deserves the right for him to live in this country peacefully. Any allegation should be tried in a court of law and not by suppression and intimidation. He was the president of 30 years of this nation and he deserves the security and benefits that are stipulated in law. He has other options around the world than Maldives which he could indulge his life much better and I have no doubt that this is the tactic of MDP crooks. He has been the greatest challenge for MDP to deceive poor Maldivians out there and swindle the wealth of this nation.
Golhaaboa has finally lost his marbles. The senile old fool.
i cant stop laughing at the old men. cant he just leave maldives and live in asylum.
Dear Maumoon,
British PM David Cameron have enough on his plate, could you please leave him alone, he can't baby sit for a grand pa like you.
You are a big boy, you can handle a little fellow like Mohamed Nasheed from bullying you.
Please don't go crying to world leaders when ever someone bully you in class.
No wonder only class mates you were able to tolerate were Fathulla, and Fah kada Zahir Hussein.
Sincerely
Formaru.
Every bread winner, every able working male in Magoodhoo was banished without a trial after torturing them beyond words, accusing them of hurting Maumoons play mate boy Zakariya Hameed.
‘Since I stepped down from office’ you were send to the garbage with votes.
So call people who admire you so much did it that to you.
Ganjaaboa is biggest threat to the young democracy this country!
Hey buddy you say former president is dictator and was doing nothing? but all development of Maldives was during ex government
so my friend tell me what is new party develope?sale the airport to the India and given freedom to heavy crime on the roads ,destroy normal medical services?/it is look like before MDP in Maldives life was not exist/When Tiger become very old it is not a big honor to dismiss him, but what you doing now?Give example of happy life in Maldives please!
talk about failing to prosecute him under the law he made. even hitler couldn't be prosecuted under a single law he made.lol
I hope Maumoon likes the taste of his own medicine.
It is time for the old coot and his cronies to face justice. Final justice.
And if the British dare to get in our way, we'll demonstrate to them that old grudges die hard.
Oh for crying out loud! What is wrong with this old codger? perhaps Maumoon is really demented, as DO always claimed. What does he expect David Cameron to do? Pick him up, change his nappy, give him his bottle and sing him a lullaby and save him from wicked Anni?
And as faxyl noted, if he is so loved by the people why does he need security to go to the mosque? Pathetic fool.
Gayyoom,
Why don't you raise your grievances with President Nasheed? After all its your constitutional right or is it below your dignity? Just remember what you did to Nasir and his supporters, when you came to power, and just be thankful.
i think the former president is now insane. no torture in the Maldives during his long reign took place without his knowledge and approval. is he trying to clear his name before launching an attempt to regain power? Maldivians will be better off without him in power again. 30 long years of ruthless dictatorship was long enough.
not so funny when it happens to you, huh, gayoom?
all you people think government and power is virtuous and moral.
maumoon & crew has had their chance to steal from the cookie jar, n got busted several times over during last 30 years,
and now anni n crew is presently stealing from the same cookie jar and if Anni decide to take an audit, you would unveil where his crew's hands are really!
pursuing maumoon n his entourage will be a wild goose chase, and the whole system will go down because frankly we are such a small society, we have the same people who facilitated the crimes in maumoons presidency now working closely with Anni.
so, this is all just a big show, and the sad fact is, all of us are just sitting behind watching and clapping to the tunes played by people in power. watching the parliament become a place more entertaining the star plus whilst the whole country is economically, politically and morally degrade to a far lesser country than it was during maumoons regime.
shame not on maumoon, but on the maldivian people!
the trial will begin. there is nothing david cameron can do regarding this even he sends million letters to uk... maumoon betrayed us and we will make them face justice. here we come golhaaboa!
How come he has not signed the letter? Did minivan verify this document? Why has minivan not bothered to contact the OFPM? Why no response from any British official?
Mental Problems. Good that the British Prime Minister has shown some kind of ignorance towards him.
Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (RA) says that Rasulullah (SAW) said: “Four traits whoever possesses them is a hypocrite and whoever possesses some of them has an element of hypocrisy until he leaves it: the one who when he speaks he lies, when he promises he breaks his promise, when he disputes he transgresses and when he makes an agreement he violates it.” (Muslim and Bukhari)
@Nifaq Al-Akbar
“Four traits whoever possesses them is a hypocrite and whoever possesses some of them has an element of hypocrisy until he leaves it: the one who when he speaks he lies, when he promises he breaks his promise, when he disputes he transgresses and when he makes an agreement he violates it.”
Well done! Anni - you passed the hypocrisy test!
Diploma awarding ceremony:
Date: Nov 2013
Time: No need to be punctual-we are already late.
Venue: Ballot Boxes
Result: Fail
Obviously the only solution here is for Maumoon to go to the british media to put pressure on Mr Cameron to help him, then maybe the BBC will come along and interview him, oh sorry hang on NO he wont do that because anything they say about him 'simply isn't true' oh the shame and the sweet sweet irony of a man on the ropes crying to other leaders.
learn from your good friend Saddam and at least take it like a man, you sad old creature.
idiot let us live and get a life. dont be childish.
I ask president nasheed not to be "kaamiyaabee gai hih thiri" and file the corruption cases investigated by the "sheikh's commision" and prove us that there are reasonable, justifiable reasons to believe that golhaa has indeed used public money and resources.
It is high time for the current government to act, based on their vows prior to winning the presidential election: bring those corrupted officials to justice.
What we are seen now is that the government is doing nothing to prove so, and in the runup to every election will lay some foundation for mega projects just like the previous govnmt.
Dear preident, I personally think that you should act more wisely... thanks
@heck
Still no one can match Maumoon's standing as a hypocrite.. interesting that you can only see one side. I guess you are half qualified in the test u mentioned.
Is Gayoom going to appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council? His grand cross might come in handy when he does. I am surprised he didn't appeal to the Kaaba.
Mr.Maumoon,
Do you seriously think that the British Prime minister can cure all your psychiatric problems?
You are now a 78 year old man..who should be more worried about what will happen to you in your grave...Kindly sit at home or go to the nearest mosque and pray...No one will bother you or notice you on the road!
For the record,you are a master in disguising why not wear a dhivehi libaas and go take a walk on the road!take a chill pill and go for a hike,Anni has provided you with all the luxuries,imagine!you are the only dictator who lives such a carefree life after being thrown out..you should be happy and relaxing and not behaving like a 7year old whose toy was snatched away.
lol..Grow up,old man!British PM is not your daddy!he's as young as your son.have some shame and go snivel elsewhere..
i think we need to go beyond Shafeeg, put names to the nos of dead and tortured, i am sure there was 650 arrested and maltreated during the movement for democracy. 2 of his own finance ministers have accused him of destroying the countries the economy,
and he has faced nothing like what the families of the ex president faced when Gayoom came to power.
I think its time that the gov revealed facts about this guy.
Hahaha, the babbling of a senile old narcissist! Most popular man indeed!
It is untrue, the attached letter is fake, no signature of Qayoom
Qayyoom is his letter wrote what he did to the former president ibrahim nasir. Just replace the name Nasheed with Qayyom and letter signed by ibrahim nasir will show a true story.
Do he still think he should go to Mosque under full Security, what a Joke !!!!