Supreme Court of the Maldives has scheduled appeal hearings for former president Abdulla Yameen.
Supreme Court scheduled the appeal hearings for September 12 and 13. A Supreme Court bench consisting of Justice Mahaaz Ali, Justice Dr. Azmiralda Zahir, and Justice Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim will be presiding over the hearings.
In 2019, the Criminal Court of the Maldives sentenced former Yameen to 5 years in prison with a fine of USD 5 million, after he was found guilty of the money laundering charges the state had pressed against him. Yameen was found guilty of laundering USD 1 million received as the acquisition cost for the lease of Vodamula, Gaafu Alifu Atoll, for resort development through Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC).
The High Court of the Maldives upheld the lower court ruling in January after Yameen appealed. Additionally, the Attorney General's Office (AGO) has submitted a request to the Civil Court of the Maldives to enforce the USD 5 million fine. The Criminal Court had ordered Yameen to pay the fine to Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) within 6 months. However, the fine was not paid within the given timeframe.
Furthermore, Yameen is currently undergoing two more trials on charges related to corruption, bribery, and money laundering. As such, Yameen has been charged with using his influence as the president to seek a bribe of USD 1.1 million during the lease of Fuhgiri, Raa Atoll for resort development through MMPRC, and laundering the money. He has also been charged over the embezzlement of USD 1 million during the lease of Aarah, Vaavu Atoll for resort development through MMPRC.