Police have summoned former Maldives president Abdulla Yameen for questioning as part of investigations into deals he made during his tenure, many of them involving Chinese infrastructure projects.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Yameen lost a presidential election in September and the new government of his successor, Mohamed Ibrahim Solih, has been trying to determine the extent of Chinese loans to finance a construction boom in the Indian Ocean island nation.
"The service is investigating reports ... that allege former president Abdulla Yameen conducted illicit financial transactions while he was president," police said in a statement on Thursday.
Yameen has denied wrongdoing and says he took on loans to accelerate economic development.
Critics alleged contracts were given to Chinese companies at inflated prices, such as a bridge connecting the capital Male to the main airport of the palm-fringed islands famous for their luxury diving resorts.
Mohamed Hussain Shareef, secretary-general of Yameen's Progressive Party of Maldives, said police asked the former president to appear at their headquarters on Saturday.
The Maldives have become the latest battleground for influence between old rivals India and China.
Yameen steered the country of just over 400,000 people closer to China, away from traditional partner India.
Australian Associated Press