The High Court of the Maldives has overturned the lower court’s order for former President Abdulla Yameen to pay USD3.4 million.
In December 2022, the Criminal Court sentenced former President Yameen to 11 years in prison after finding him guilty of money laundering and accepting bribes in relation to the lease of Aarah, Vaavu Atoll, for resort development through the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC). The court also ordered Yameen to pay USD3.4 million to the state within six months in February.
After the appeal hearings, the High Court stated that the Criminal Court did not provide a sufficient reason to issue the fine which was not initially requested by the state. It also stated that the lower court had violated procedures by issuing the fine two months after giving its verdict in the Aarah case, upon request from the state via a letter.
Meanwhile, another case is ongoing at the Criminal Court where Yameen is charged with seeking a bribe of USD1.3 million to lease Fuhgiri to City Island Holdings Limited, which was facilitated by Ahmed Krik Riza. The state has accused Yameen of laundering USD1.1 million of the bribe through Sun Investment Private Limited and Sun Construction Engineering Private Limited.
The High Court has upheld the Criminal Court’s decision to hear witness testimonies from former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb and former Managing Director of MMPRC Abdulla Ziyath in the Fuhgiri trial, despite an appeal from Yameen.