Maldives police seek charges against former president

The police service has filed a case at the Prosecutor General’s office, seeking to raise charges against former President Abdulla Yameen.

In a statement on Wednesday, the police stated that it has requested the PG to charge Yameen with money-laundering and giving false information to state authorities.

The police stated that it began its investigation after state investigative authorities filed a police report regarding Yameen’s illegal financial transactions when he was president, which includes leasing islands via Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC).

The money owed to the state from these transactions were allegedly transferred to Yameen’s account at the Maldives Islamic Bank, which were then laundered, the police stated, adding that Yameen had also given false information to the authorities during the investigation.

The police also requested that the PG charge Azima Shakoor, the legal affairs minister in Yameen’s administration, for giving false information to state authorities and aiding Yameen with money-laundering.

In the statement, the police revealed that in its investigation it has found that S.O.F., the company involved in the MMPRC embezzlement, transferred USD one million to Yameen’s bank account and that when Yameen was ordered to return the money to the state, Yameen had instead transferred the money to his other bank accounts and used it for personal use.