Male’, Maldives – After the High Court upheld Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s 5 year money laundering sentence that the Criminal Court issued in November of 2019, his supporters have taken to the streets.
President Yameen’s supporters have been gathering at the four way road connecting two busy streets- Majeedhee Magu and Chandanee Magu. While traffic has been piling up in the area with angry motorists sounding their horns, President Yameen’s supporters have been calling for the former President to be released at once.
2 of the 3 Judges at hearing of President Yameen’s appeal of his sentence upheld the criminal court’s sentence, which was given after President Yameen was found guilty of knowingly depositing MMPRC money to his personal account and using it for personal gain.
Witnesses summoned by the state said the former President most definitely knew that the USD 1 million that went into his account was the requisition fee of Vodamulla island, which was leased in his administration by MMPRC.
While President Yameen has spent more than 400 days of his 5 year sentence, today’s verdict by the High Court means that he will go back to complete his sentence at Maafushi Prison, and may very well be facing more time as the state is pressing additional charges of accepting bribes and money laundering.
