Malé, Maldives – An appeal submitted to the Maldivian Supreme Court on behalf of the currently imprisoned Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has been accepted by the court earlier today.
This comes after Yameen was unsuccessful in appealing his 5 year jail sentence for money laundering at the High Court. The Criminal Court, which handed out the sentence in November 2019, also ordered Yameen to pay USD 5 million to the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA).
Yameen’s lawyers submitted the appeal 2 weeks ago, and while the Supreme Court has accepted the case, no exact date has been revealed for the commencement of hearings.
Former Vice President of Maldives and head of Yameen’s legal team Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed stated today that lower courts and the high court have gravely mishandled Yameen’s case. He added that he expects that at the Supreme Court, all previously made ‘mistakes’ will be amended.
The Former President has also submitted a proposal for his release under parole until court proceedings conclude. While the proposal was not accepted by both lower courts, Yameen has said that he expects the Supreme Court to facilitate.
Dr.Jameel also noted that the current government has unjustly imprisoned the Former President and is conducting investigations and handing sentences which are politically motivated. The Opposition has been conducting frequent protests demanding Yameen to be changed to home arrest.
While facing additional charges, former President Yameen is currently serving a 5 year money laundering sentence at Maafushi Prison after he was found guilty of crediting one million dollars that was to be received by the state for the lease of Ga. Vodamula, via MMPRC. The verdict was passed by the Criminial Court on 28 November, 2019.
