Hearings in Yameen's money laundering case will be open to public: PG Office

The Prosecutor General (PG) Office has denied reports that former President Abdulla Yameen’s trial on money laundering charges will be held behind closed doors.

Following reports that it is working to hold the hearings in the case behind closed doors, the Office via twitter on Tuesday denied asking to hold the hearings in the case “or any part of it” behind closed doors.

“The hearings will be open to the public,” further reads the tweet in Dhivehi.

The first hearing in the case was held on Monday, and was open to the public. The hearing was held following PG’s request to arrest and remand the former trial until the case concludes.

It accused the former president of offering bribes to witnesses, to influence their statements.

While the police concluded its investigation and sent the case for prosecution on February 6, PG raised money laundering charges against the former president last week.

He was summoned to Criminal Court on Sunday, and handed over case documents.

Yameen is accused of being involved in the biggest corruption scandal in the country’s history, and was questioned by police twice since his defeat in last year’s presidential elections.

While Yameen questioned the delay in raising charges against him at Monday’s hearing, the state prosecutor noted that he had used his power to block any investigation into the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) embezzlement.

Police is also seeking an additional charge against the country’s former leader, for providing false statements to the anti-corruption watchdog during the investigation.

Charges have also been raised against Yameen administration’s legal affairs minister at the President’s Office, Azima Shakoor. Further, police have launched an investigation into ACC’s president Hassan Luthufee, also over money laundering allegations.