Maldivian opposition sought $6 million bribe from India to impeach President Muizzu: Report

Leaders of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) allegedly sought financial assistance from India in a failed attempt to orchestrate the impeachment of Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, according to a report by The Washington Post published on Monday.

The plan, detailed in an internal document titled “Democratic Renewal Initiative,” purportedly involved a plot to bribe members of the Maldivian Parliament and senior figures in the military and police.

The document suggests that MDP leaders had proposed offering substantial sums to 40 MPs, including those from Muizzu’s People’s National Congress (PNC), in an effort to secure votes for his impeachment. Furthermore, the plot allegedly extended to bribing 10 senior officials from the Maldivian Army and Police, as well as three powerful criminal gangs.

To finance the scheme, the conspirators sought a total of $6 million (approximately 51.3 crore Indian Rupees), which, according to two Maldivian officials, was to be sourced from India. However, the report indicates that the plan never materialised, and India did not pursue or finance any attempt to remove the president.

This revelation comes just months after India withdrew its military personnel from the Maldives, a move that aligned with a key election promise of President Muizzu. Muizzu, who is seen as pro-China, had made the removal of Indian military forces from the Maldives a central part of his campaign. Upon taking office on November 18, 2023, Muizzu requested that India remove its military presence, which had involved maintaining radar stations and surveillance aircraft, along with patrolling the nation’s exclusive economic zone.

India's military presence in the Maldives had been of strategic importance to New Delhi, especially as it sought to counter China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean region. In January 2024, Muizzu made his first official state visit to China, amid a diplomatic rift with India. Despite having initially sought to visit New Delhi, Muizzu was reportedly denied the opportunity.

The Washington Post also revealed that officials from India’s foreign intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), allegedly discussed the impeachment plot with Opposition leaders in January 2024. The plan reportedly involved two Indian intermediaries: Shirish Thorat, a former police officer and private military contractor who had advised former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, and Savio Rodrigues, a former spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party. While both men confirmed the existence of the plot, they did not clarify whether it had the approval of the Indian government.

In response to the report, Rodrigues refuted the claim, arguing that it aimed to discredit him. He also claimed that following the publication of the report, Muizzu had discussed the possibility of putting a bounty on his head and that of Thorat.

Meanwhile, former Maldivian President Nasheed denied knowledge of any serious plot against Muizzu. He expressed confidence that India would never support such a move, reiterating that India has consistently supported the Maldives’ democracy and has never imposed terms on the nation. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has yet to comment on the matter.