AG Office asks Court to collect USD five million fine imposed on ex-president

The Attorney General’s (AG) Office s working to seek the USD five million fine former president Abdulla Yameen was ordered to pay to the state back in November 2019 after being convicted of money laundering, through court.

Yameen was convicted of laundering USD one million through the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) via a private company Scores of Flair during his presidency, on November 2019. While he was sentenced to five years in prison, the former president was also issued a USD five million to be paid within six months.

While it has been nearly two years since his conviction, Yameen is yet to pay this fine.

Hence, the AG Office filed a request at the Civil Court on Tuesday, to order the former president to pay the fine as per the Criminal Court verdict.

Prior to heading to court, the Office had attempted to attain the USD five million through the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) last year. MIRA was ordered to collect the funds from the jailed former president in accordance with Article 50 of the Tax Administration Act of the Maldives, which states that “unless specified otherwise in another Act, if a fee, or rent, or royalty, or fine, or any other money required to be paid to the MIRA by any person under any Act is not paid within the period required, MIRA, in collecting such money from such person, shall follow the procedures specified in this chapter as being the procedures to be followed in collecting tax unpaid by a person required to pay tax under a Taxation Act.”

However, Yameen failed to pay up even after this attempt, and the Attorney General has the power to collect the money through the court.

The AG Office is now asking the Civil Court to order the former president to pay back the entire sum at once.

While Yameen has been convicted of laundering USD one million through MMPRC during his presidency, additional cases against him are being investigated. Further, new charges were raised against him last year in relation to the leasing of Fuhgiri island for resort development.