Malé, Maldives – The Supreme Court (SC) of Maldives, today, has scheduled the judgement hearing for the appeal trial of former President Yameen Abdul Gayyoom for 30 November 2021, Tuesday.
- While the Supreme Court has scheduled the final hearing for the appeal trial at 09:00 on Tuesday, the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) has filed money laundering charges against the former President yesterday at the Criminal Court regarding the lease of V. Aarah.
- The PGO also has another ongoing case against the Former President of accepting bribes worth MVR 117,000 during the lease of R. Fuggiri for the development of a tourist resort.
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.
