Yameen to be summoned to court over bribery and money laundering charges
18 ސެޕްޓެމްބަރު 2026 | ހުކުރު 07:24The Criminal Court has been ordered to retry the bribery and money laundering charges against former President Abdulla Yameen regarding the lease of V. Aarah, in accordance with the rulings of higher courts. A hearing has been scheduled for the 29th of this month to allow for pretrial motions, following a Supreme Court decision that invalidated new evidence previously submitted by the state.
Former President Yameen.
The Criminal Court has ordered former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom to appear for a hearing on September 29 regarding bribery and money laundering charges filed against him by the state in connection with the lease of V. Aarah.
The Criminal Court has issued a summons for President Yameen to appear in court at 9:15 a.m. this coming Tuesday, September 29. The hearing is scheduled to address pre-trial motions regarding the charges filed against him.
On December 25, 2022, the Criminal Court sentenced former President Yameen to 11 years in prison after finding him guilty of charges related to corruption in the lease of V. Aarah. However, following an appeal filed by his legal team, the High Court overturned the lower court's verdict after a lengthy trial and ordered a retrial of the case at the Criminal Court.
In ordering a retrial of the case, the High Court ruled that the lower court should not have admitted new evidence submitted by the prosecution during the initial proceedings. The Criminal Court’s previous conviction had been based on that specific evidence. On July 1st, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court's decision, affirming that the new evidence presented by the state in this matter is inadmissible.
Consequently, the trial scheduled to resume in the Criminal Court on September 29 will proceed in accordance with the rulings of the Supreme Court and the High Court, excluding the submission of any new evidence.
