Former President Abdulla Yameen, who was recently cleared of money laundering charges by the Supreme Court, has requested the finance ministry for over MVR 8 million in unpaid allowances because of his two-year confinement.
Yameen wrote a letter to the finance ministry requesting lost benefits provided to former presidents owing to his imprisonment after being convicted of money laundering by the Criminal Court in 2019, according to a finance ministry media officer.
According to the media officer, no response to the letter has yet been provided, but a decision will be made soon.
Former presidents of the Maldives are entitled to financial support, security, health insurance, a living allowance, and financing to manage their offices.
Yameen is entitled to more than MVR 358,000 per month in perks as a former president. But under a law enacted during his presidency, former presidents who are imprisoned for a criminal violation lose the privilege.
He had been imprisoned for 24 months when the Supreme Court overturned his conviction, and as a result, he is entitled to more than MVR 8.5 million in missed allowances.
