Malé, Maldives – The Criminal Court yesterday released the detailed report of the conviction of former President Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayoom in the V. Aarah case.
Adam Shamim, a member of President Yameen’s legal team, said they had received the report yesterday. He said there were difficult days ahead.
Yameen was sentenced to 11 years in prison on December 25, 2022 after being convicted of taking bribes and laundering the money on the lease of V. Aarah. He is serving his sentence in Maafushi jail.
The legal team submitted the request for the detailed report of the verdict to the court on the same day of the verdict. However, the detailed report has been received now after the legal team and opposition coalition leaders repeatedly visited the Criminal Court to get the report.
The opposition coalition also said that the summary report of the trial of former President Yameen was received after the deadline stipulated by the law.
President Yameen’s legal team member Abdullah Shiaz had earlier said that the case could not be appealed because the summary report did not contain the statements of the two parties.
President Yameen will have 60 days to appeal the lower court’s verdict in the High Court.
The PPM-PNC members have been protesting every night in the streets and various areas of the capital saying that President Yameen has been handed a “haram” sentence.
The opposition PPP and PNC have handed over their presidential ticket to President Yameen. However, President Yameen will not be able to contest the upcoming presidential election until the jail sentence handed down by the Criminal Court is quashed by a higher court.
