The next hearing in incarcerated Former President Abdulla Yameen's sentence appeal trial has been scheduled for October.

During Monday's hearing in the money laundering trial, state prosecutors have refuted claims that they had ever decided against halting the cases linked to the suspects of the grand corruption scandal involving Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC).

While the state attorneys had responded to the 22 appeal points presented by the defendant in the case, the presiding judges had also cleared some details.

Responding to questions posed by the court, attorneys revealed that they had never reached the decision to not proceed with the cases of other suspects linked to the largest corruption scandal in the country’s history.

As such, the state attorney pointed out that joint investigations are currently proceeding at the Maldives Police Service, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) as well as the Presidential Inquiry Commission on Asset Recovery. Shedding light on the funds deposited to Yameen’s account, state prosecutors had noted that this should not have happened, given Yameen’s position when it happened.

With this being said, the prosecutor noted that it was easier to track and identify the funds deposited to Yameen’s account, rather than tracing the funds deposited to accounts of other individuals.

When asked whether or not the state may press charges if the funds deposited in Yameen’s bank account by Scores of Flair; the company through which funds were embezzled, were less than USD one million, the state prosecutor noted that charges may be pressed if the funds, no matter the amount, if they were acquired through crimes.

The court had cleared some details from the defendant as well, inquiring on the presence of any evidence that supports the claim that the funds were with former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb.

In response Yameen said that it was his money and that transactions regarding it were held with the Deputy Leader of his party, Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), due to which he did not have any documents to back his claim.

The ex-president went on to state that the President’s Office had reached out to Adeeb through its official intercom regarding returning the funds. He highlighted that he was not aware Adeeb was going to return the funds through an SoF cheque, to any extent.

Yameen was then questioned whether or not he had cleared any details from SoF regarding the cheque, after receiving the funds. Yameen revealed that he did not hold any transactions with SoF and that all of the employees of the company had already left the country by then.

The next hearing in the trial is scheduled for October 4, where both parties will be given the opportunity to give summary statements.

During the hearing, the court is expected to reach a verdict regarding Yameen’s appeal to delay the execution of his prison sentence as well as the new evidence presented by the defendant.

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.

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.