The Sun Group of Companies has continued to maintain innocence amid the trial on the money laundering charges pressed by the state against two of its companies at the Criminal Court of the Maldives.
Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) pressed charges against Sun Investment Private Limited and Sun Construction Engineering Private Limited for laundering USD 1.1 million acquired by former President Abdulla Yameen as a bribe through the corrupt lease of Fuhgiri, Raa Atoll for resort development. Former President Yameen has been charged with money laundering and bribery, while Ahmed Kurik Riza has been charged for being the facilitator to money laundering.
During the third hearing of the trial held on December 15, the legal team of the Sun Group initially requested to cancel the hearing as one of its lawyers was away on leave. However, the judge rejected the request, stating there is legal representation from the defendant already in court and the absence of one lawyer cannot be termed as a lack of legal representation.
The Sun Group legal team then went on to claim that the supporting documents submitted by the state as evidence was not legible. Even after all the documents were read out in court, the Sun Group continued to claim the documents were not clear.
Evidence submitted by the state against the Sun Group included statements from former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, former Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) Abdulla Ziyath as well as the Chairman of Sun Group Ahmed Siyam Mohamed. The state also presented evidence from phones and computers investigated by the forensic team of Maldives Police Service, as well as bank statements and documents.
Sun Group’s Chairman Ahmed Siyam Mohamed, who is also the leader of Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) and the incumbent Parliamentarian for Dhaalu Meedhoo constituency, is a close acquaintance of former President Yameen. During the presidency of Yameen, the government had also issued sovereign guarantees for loans taken by Sun Group.
Yameen is already serving a five-year prison sentence after being convicted of laundering USD 1 million acquired through the lease of Vodamula, Gaafu Alifu Atoll for resort development through Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC). The sentence has been appealed at the High Court of the Maldives.