Sri Lanka has no concerns with activities of ex-Maldives President

The Government says it has no concerns over the activities of former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed in Sri Lanka.

There have been reports that Nasheed was working from Sri Lanka to topple the current Maldives Government.

Cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne however said that Nasheed was raising democratic issues and so it cannot be seen as an attempt to topple the Maldives Government.

A Maldives court had this week issued an order to arrest Nasheed in conjunction with investigations, pursuant to a 2011 Audit Report, being carried out by the Maldives Police Service.

The Maldives Correctional Service is also seeking to have Nasheed brought back to serve a remainder of his 13 year sentence from which he was initially granted extraordinary medical leave.

Senaratne said that Nasheed carried out all his activities from Sri Lanka before he became President and he had even thanked the then Sri Lankan Government for accommodating him.

“He thanked the then Sri Lankan government for allowing him to do his propaganda and activities from Sri Lanka against the then President Gayoom. He must be doing the same thing even now,” he said.

The Minister said that allowing Nasheed to work from Sri Lanka did not have a negative impact on Sri Lanka’s relationship with the Maldives at the time and should not even now.

Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison last year after he was found guilty of ordering the arrest of a judge while in office.

He was initially cleared of the charges but was re-arrested and charged under anti-terrorism laws. (Colombo Gazette)

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