Yameen blames 'a few' people for chaos in Maldives

Embattled Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen has blamed 'a few' people for bringing chaos to the country as the police accused two top judges of accepting millions of dollars in "bribes" to facilitate a coup against the government.
The island nation, which has seen several political crises since the ouster of its first democratically-elected president Mohamed Nasheed in 2012, plunged into chaos last Thursday when the apex court ordered the release of nine imprisoned Opposition politicians, maintaining that their trials were "politically motivated and flawed".
The Yameen government refused to obey the court orders and declared a state of emergency in the country.

Maldives' Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and another judge, Ali Hameed, were arrested hours after Yameen declared a state of emergency. Former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was also arrested.
Acting police chief Abdulla Nawaz told reporters that police had found evidence that "millions of dollars were given to Saeed and Hameed, and to court official Hassan Saeed, as bribes" in return for ordering the release of imprisoned politicians opposed to President.
All are being charged with attempting to unlawfully overthrow the government, the police said.

Saeed's lawyer claimed that his client received death threats before his arrest.
Saeed was warned he would be "cut into pieces" if he did not overturn the court order releasing political dissidents, the lawyer said.

Yameen said the day some three to four people brought the state to its knees should not be forgotten.
He defended his action of imposing an emergency, saying the Maldives was saved from the actions of fellow citizens of the Maldives.
"We don't know the consequences of the actions some of our own people attempted to perpetrate. We reached the shores of safety with the grace of Almighty Allah. We should remain forever thankful for this blessing," Yameen said last night.
He was referring to the arrested judges and his half- brother former Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
Yameen, meanwhile, has decided to send special envoys to China, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to brief them about the deepening political crisis in the country.

President Yameen has sent Minister of Economic Development Mohamed Saeed to China and Foreign Minister Mohamed Asim to Pakistan in the wake of the crisis.
Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Mohamed Shainee is going to Saudi Arabia.
The Maldivian envoy in New Delhi said a special envoy could not be sent to India due to scheduling issues of the Indian leadership.
The government's move to end envoys to three nations came after president has been internationally condemned for his action.
The US asked Yameen to restore constitutionally guaranteed rights of the people in the country.
The UN human rights chief has called the declaration of a state of emergency in the Maldives and the resulting suspension of constitutional guarantees an "all-out assault on democracy."

UN officials offered to facilitate all-party talks to resolve the crisis in the country.
China, however, opposed any UN mediation in the Maldives but called on the international community to provide "support and convenience" to the relevant parties to facilitate dialogue and resolve the country's political crisis.