The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has expressed serious concerns about the government’s purchase of military drones from a Turkish private company. They claim the deal was rushed and suspicious.
At a press conference discussing campaign for the upcoming parliamentary elections, MDP spokesperson Ahmed Easa accused the government of halting various projects initiated by the previous administration to use the funds for buying drones. He mentioned that discussions were underway with another country to provide similar surveillance technology for free during the MDP’s time in power. However, the plans changed when the government changed hands, raising questions.
MP Easa criticized President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu for hastily making the decision to purchase the drones during his visit to Turkey. This expenditure wasn’t part of the budget for the year. The government reportedly spent over USD 30 million on these drones, diverting funds from other pressing needs.
The MDP believes there were more important priorities for the government to address rather than buying drones. They also suspect that the purchase was made to finance the upcoming parliamentary election campaign, alleging that the drones were bought at inflated prices compared to the global market rates. MP Easa added that the MDP has information on how to procure drones at more reasonable prices.
