The state has submitted numerous amount of witnesses against former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, as part of the money laundering charges raised against him, including former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, former Minister of Tourism Moosa Zameer and President of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Hassan Latheef, the Vice President of the commission Muavviz Rasheed and the former Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) Abdulla Ziyath.
Prosecutor General's Office pressed criminal charges against former President Yameen on money laundering. The charges came in the wake of a statement from Maldives Police Service, accusing the former president of money laundering and giving false statements to mislead an investigation. In the statement, the police also revealed it has found out the person who committed the money laundering scheme deposited a large sum of the money laundered from MMPRC to a bank account opened under the name of the former president at Maldives Islamic Bank (MIB).
The state said Yameen had transferred an unrelated USD 1 million to an escrow account opened at BML under an agreement he signed with ACC after fabricating that it was the same USD 1 million which was transferred to his dollar account by SOF Private Limited. However, the state revealed the funds deposited to an escrow account were from a close ally of Yameen, former Tourism Minister Moosa Zameer. Once the charges were read, Yameen claimed he is unclear of the charges.
During the hearing held on Thursday, the state submitted numerous witnesses against Yameen which includes close allies of him. Moreover, the state also submitted two new witnesses. However, the court did not make a decision whether to accept the witnesses.
During the hearing, former President Yameen was asked many questions by the judge. At the hearing, Yameen said he is unclear of the charges pressed, reiterating the funds in his account are not from MMPRC.
Meanwhile, as Yameen expressed he is unclear of the charges, the state declared it as corruption charges and presented the statement of Yameen.
Thursday’s hearing was concluded by exchanging documents to be submitted before verdict.