Male: The leader of the opposition, former President Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayyoom stated that some news outlets operated in the Maldives were on the Indian High Commission’s payroll.
Speaking at the opposition rally held in the Carnival area, the former President stated that the Maldives no longer had freedom of the press. Almost all news outlets were within the grasp of the government.
He also said that most Maldivian journalists were on the Indian High Commission’s payroll.
Several news outlets operating in the Maldives are indeed on the payroll of the Indian High Commission and are used to promote Indian interests. Many of these outlets publish stories defending the Indian military presence in the Maldives, and many had avoided publishing articles about the Indian military’s siege of Kashmir.
In addition, many news outlets are controlled directly by the government. Most news outlets make most of their revenue from sponsorships provided by state companies. The President’s Office has also engaged in paying off news outlets and TV stations under various pretexts. The Maldives Journal
