The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) is holding discussions on appealing a part of the Criminal Court’s verdict which ignored the state’s request to receive the laundered money in the Aarah case.
In December 2022, the Criminal Court sentenced former President Abdulla Yameen to 11 years in prison after finding him guilty of charges of money laundering and accepting bribes in relation to the lease of Aarah, Vaavu Atoll, for resort development through Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC).
Former President Yameen was given a seven-year prison sentence and a USD5 million fine for money laundering. The court ordered him to pay the amount to the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) within six months. He was also given five years for accepting bribes.
The court’s verdict had ignored the prosecution’s request to give the laundered USD1 million to the state as well as the USD2.4 million invested in the deal and the subsequent profit. The PGO stated that discussions are ongoing on whether to file an appeal and no decision has been made yet.