Malé, Maldives – Former President Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayyoom’s legal defence team have said today that the Government withholding documents that prove Yameen’s innocence in the R. Fuhgiri bribery and money laundering case.
At a press conference by Yameen’s lawyers today, Dr. Mohamed Jameel, Former Vice President and current head of Yameen’s team of lawyers, disclosed that one reason he believes Yameen’s trial cannot be fair is that documents that would save Yameen from the two charges he currently faces have been withheld by the government.
Dr.Jameel said that while he stated this at the last hearing of this case, the documents have yet to be provided.
Hearings on this case are ongoing at the Criminal Court, where state representatives have revealed additional charges against the former President, regarding a coverup for a USD 1,117,000 bribe taken via a mediator named Krik Riza in leasing of R. Fuhgiri to be developed as a tourist resort.
The additional charges are that of accepting bribes and money laundering, under section 510, part (a) and (d) of the penal code, as well as section 53, part (a), section 5, part (a) (3) and section 53, part (b) of the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing Terrorism Act of the country.
Jameel said today that they have not received any documents from the Anti-Corruption Commission of Maldives’ (ACC) investigation on Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), neither any of the documents sent between the Ministry of Tourism and ACC.
Yameen’s lawyer Adam Shameem says that to free Yameen, they require a 700 page report on MMPRC compiled by the ACC, adding that he is certain these documents would clear Yameen of all the charges raised against him by the state.
While facing additional charges, former President Yameen is currently serving a 5 year money laundering sentence at Maafushi Prison. Earlier this month, Yameen’s appeal of this sentence failed at the High Court, when 2 of the 3 judges attending upheld the sentence.
