Gayoom and Yameen denies any involvement in money laundering worth $800 million
-We have evidence from 6 months of research- Chakrabarti

As usual Dictatator Maumoon says he will file case against the magazine and reporter. Same statements he issued when New York Times released a statement about him cheating public money while he was in power.. at last the whole thing ended up with a letter to the news.

When people cheat public money media will definitely cover the news. That is the duty of the media. Still in the civil court there is a case filed by Dictator Gayoom against Editor, Miadhudaily Mr. Abdul Latheef Adam. Since other countries and foreign media started monitoring the case there is no hearing. Now it is about 8 months there is not a single  hearing.

Former President and DRP founding Leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and his half brother PA Leader Abdullah Yameen have denied any involvement in the international money laundering racket worth of $800 million which was alleged by the Indian famous weekly magazine “The Week”.

Speaking on VTV Fasmanzaru program, Trade Minister of the former regime, PA Leader Abdullah Yameen said that the report to be published on “The Week” on 20^th of this month that he and his half brother Gayoom were connected in the black-market oil trade with Burmese Junta is false. Gayoom also denied implication in the alleged money laundering worth of 800 million US dollars.

The Week’s report which is authored by Sumon K. Chakrabarti said that Former President and his half brother Yameen were involved in the international money laundering by selling subsidised oil at a black-market premium to Myanmar. The magazine claimed that the case is being investigated by the Singaporean police.  The report did not go to any details on the 800 million US dollars.

Chakrabarti alleged that STO Singapore Pvt Ltd. and Mocum Trading Pvt. Ltd made a joint venture company on 2004 to sell subsidized oil to Burmese military junta via the blackmarket.

According to the Indian weekly magazine, Mocum Trading’s shareholders include the former General Manager, Human Resources and Development of STO Fathimath Ashan and the company’s Chief Financial Office Sana Mansoor. The other two share holders are from Myanmar and Malaysia. Apart from these four shareholders, STO Singapore Director Ahmed Muneez is also from the Director’s Board of Mocum Trading. The report did not shed any light on why Ashan and Sana were included as shareholders of the company.

Replying to these allegations Yameen said that STO Singaport and Mocum Trading did make a joint venture company. He said that the company was registered under the permission granted by STO’s director‘s board. However, he said that he does not know exactly the country the company is registered to.

Yameen said that the claim made by the magazine that the profit from this business goes straight to Yameen’s account is a false allegation. He said that a company does exist by that name and that it goes to Myanmare to sell oil. He also said that these transactions are totally legal and that the company eyes.

“I do not know what happens to the profit of this join question. I do not know where that amount of money goes. This will be known only to those who are in the director’s board. For a surety, the STO Singapore Company is being audited. And the Male’ STO are also doing audition.”

“Gayooms bought oil, saying it was for the Maldives, and sold it to Myanmar on the international black market. As Myanmar is facing international sanctions, the junta secretly sold the Burmese and ‘Maldivian’ oil to certain Asian countries, including a wannabe superpower,” the magazine article said.

Gayoom denied the allegations said that these were made up by some government personnel at the head of this. Gayoom said that the case of corruption was also planned by some officials of the present government.

Furthermore, Gayoom said that none of these allegations were proved and that this is another allegation made by the government to achieve political agendas. He said that STO deals with many businesses and the company has a board to look over these matters. He added that he had never checked on the businesses of STO.

Quoting an unnamed Minister, The Week said that “what is becoming clear is that oil tankers regularly left Singapore for the Maldives, but never arrived here.” The magazine alleged that this unnamed Minister said that STO sold off the oil received by OPEC                                                                    in the Burmese black-market.

The report alleged that Minister of Energy of Burmer Brigader-General Lun Thi and Vice-Senior General Maung Aye are involved behind the money laundering racket besides PA Leader Yameen.

Additionally, Yameen said that if this report is genuine and if these allegations have any truth to it then the state TV will have been telecasting it non-stop. He said that these allegations were made up by some for cheap bribes by the Government. He said that his account have been checked previously in regards to other cases. Yameen called out to check his bank accounts. He also said that if a person reads the article with an open mind then he will know for sure that the report is not credible.

Meanwhile, in an interview given to MNBC, the author of the article, Sumon K. Chakrabarti, Chief National Correspondent of CNN-IBN, reiterated that the report was factual and authentic. He said that he has enough documental evidences he had acquired in 6 months time. He said that he has no problems to even go to a court of law if it is necessary.   

Miadhu Daily has been informed that today a press statement will be released to condemn the lies and fabrications of some people regarding the allegations. The paper has been also informed that these transactions were made in opposition.