Malé, Maldives – The Supreme Court (SC) of Maldives, today, has scheduled the next hearing for the appeal trial of former President Yameen Abdul Gayyoom for 18 November 2021, Thursday.
While the Supreme Court ended the appeal hearings during the first week of October, the presiding judge stated that the judgement will take a longer duration for a comprehensive study of the case. The hearing set for Thursday is reportedly to investigate details regarding a document submitted by the defense team.
In November 2019, the Criminal Court sentenced that Yameen was guilty of laundering USD 1 million of the government through MMPRC by leasing GA. Vodamula. While a verdict on that case was appealed at the High Court, on January 21, High Court announced that they will be upholding the verdict of the Criminal Court. The case was later appealed to the Supreme Court by Yameen’s defense team.
The defence filed two motions at the Supreme Court on September 12, to release Yameen on bail and for a stay of execution pending appeal for his Criminal Court sentence. On October 5, upon completing the appeal hearings the Supreme Court denied release on bail for the former President while allowing a stay order for the payment of the USD 5 million fine imposed by the Criminal Court until the appeal is complete.
The former President Yameen’s appeal Supreme Court case is judged by a three-member bench, composed of Presiding Justice Mahaz, Justice Azmiralda Zahir and Justice Mohamed Ibrahim.
Former President Yameen Abdul Gayyoom is currently under house arrest at his official residence in the capital city Malé after being transferred out of Maafushi Jail due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
