Male: Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has accused the opposition of attempting to stage a "financial coup" and said all those behind the plot to topple his government would be brought to justice, media reports stated.
Last week, the country's main commercial bank drastically reduced the foreign exchange spending allowed for Maldivians, sparking anger. The Bank of Maldives (BML) reportedly suspended foreign transactions for existing debit cards, as well as new debit and credit cards linked to MVR (Maldivian Rufiyaa) accounts.
It also lowered the monthly standard and gold credit card limit to USD 100. However, the BML reversed the decision within hours, saying it was based on instructions from its regulator, the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), The Edition news portal reported.
Asserting that the bank's decision had been against his advice, Muizzu, who also heads the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) party, slammed the move as an "illegal attempt" to overthrow his government, by making him unpopular. Calling it a calculated coup attempt by a select group of people, he said that the police have now commenced investigations into the matter.
Meanwhile, the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) chairperson Fayyaz Ismail said that the events show a coup brewing within President Muizzu's administration and not one instigated by outside forces, the Sun news portal reported.
Speaking at a press briefing after Muizzu's claims, Ismail called the allegations “ridiculous.” "What we see are fault lines within the administration. That there's trouble brewing within. And we see a coup coming from within in the days ahead,” he said.
