Incarcerated ex-Pres Yameen requests release on bail

Incarcerated Former President Abdulla Yameen has requested the Supreme Court to grant his release on bail, and to delay the conviction of his money laundering sentence.

The first hearing in the appeal trial of Yameen’s prison sentence having been backed by the high court, was held on Sunday.

During Sunday’s hearing, Yameen presented two submissions to the judges’ bench; request for a release on bail as well as to delay his conviction.

The ex-president’s legal team had summarized appeal points as well.

Yameen’s attorney, Dr. Jameel revealed that when the bail request was presented, the state had responded on Saturday, however, there are things that need to be looked into, which will take two days.

With this the judges bench had granted a two-day period to make the review.

This comes at a time the corruption trial against Yameen over the lease of R. Fuhgiri for resort development, is also ongoing. Further, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Presidential Inquiry Commission on Asset Recovery as well as the Maldives Police Service are currently conducting probes against the ex-president, regarding the MMPRC grand corruption case.

Further, the Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) is currently preparing to take action against Yameen, for violating the conditions and terms of his house arrest.

In a Twitter post shortly after the ex-president took part of the opposition Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM)’s rally staged outside of his home on Friday evening by waving the opposition flag from outside his window, Commissioner of Prisons, Ahmed Mohamed Fulhu revealed that the former president’s actions were in violation of the terms and conditions set for his house arrest.

This will be investigated, and action will be taken.

Yameen was transferred to house arrest on 29 April, after some officers at the Maafushi Prison complex were tested positive for Covid-19. He was among the high-risk convicts transferred to house arrest for their own safety. Yameen participated in Friday evening’s rally by gesturing to his supporters from an open window, waving the opposition and national flags as well as giving the protestors political messages of support.

Ahmed Mohamed Fulhu had earlier revealed that discussions were held on transferring the convicts who were moved to house arrest, back to Maafushi Prison after the Eid-Al-Adha holidays.

At a time it was revealed that the discussions are underway, Maafushi Prison was brought under a state of emergency after a corrections officer contracted coronavirus. Following this, Yameen’s transfer back to prison was delayed indefinitely.

Yameen was sentenced to five years in prison on 28 November 2019, after being found guilty of laundering USD one million through state-owned MMPRC via a private company, Scores of Flair, during his presidential tenure. He was also given a fine totaling USD five million, along with the jail sentence, to be settled within six months.