The Criminal Court of the Maldives has heard all the testimonies for the trial of President Abdulla Yameen over the sale of Aarah, Vaavu Atoll.
At the last hearing, the Criminal Court heard the seven witness testimonies presented by the defence, which included former Minister of Economic Development Mohamed Saeed, and former Minister of Youth and Sports Ahmed Zuhoor.
Chief Judge Ahmed Shakeel initially scheduled a hearing on September 29 for both sides to give their statements on the presented evidence, but the defence objected by saying they would not have enough time to prepare. The defence requested they be given one month to prepare to give their statement on the presented evidence on the same day as the closing statement. However, the state attorneys requested the statement on the presented evidence and the closing statements be heard at different hearings.
Chief Judge Shakeel said he will inform both parties if the hearing could be postponed but noted they already agreed to the schedule. The Criminal Court aims to hear the closing statements in August, and give a verdict a month later.
The state has pressed charges of money laundering and accepting bribes against former President Yameen in relation to the lease of Aarah for resort development through Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC). The prosecution has submitted a total of 13 pieces of evidence in the case, while the defendant has submitted seven pieces of evidence. Some of the evidence submitted by former President Yameen include documents on the communications between him and former Parliamentarian Yoosuf Naeem, who has been charged with bribery in the case. Other documents submitted by the defence include a statement by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and some documents from the President’s Office.
Aarah was leased to a private company after it was taken back and handed over to Felidhoo Island Council in 2015. The island was later handed over to 2G Maldives Private Limited, before leasing the island again to a foreign company. The embezzlement of funds acquired from the lease of Aarah was uncovered during the investigation of the corruption scandal of MMPRC.