High Court has on Thursday ordered to release former President Abdulla Yameen, from detention.

Criminal Court had, back in February, ordered to keep him in detention for the remainder of his trial on money laundering allegations, over witness tampering.

While Yameen had appealed the case at the High Court, it made the ruling to release to him after a change to the bench presiding over case.

While the previous bench comprised of judges Hussain Shaheed, Abdul Rauf and Hassan Ali, the latter was replaced by Shujau Usman at Thursday’s hearing.

The High Court order notes that the maximum period of detention in such a case, is 30 day; which expired on March 18. 

While the former president’s appeal hearings had concluded on 12 March, they had been held behind closed doors even though the Prosecutor General’s office previously assured that all the hearings in his case will be open to public.

Authorities had transferred him to house arrest on 13 March, due to health complications.

The former president is accused of having a hand in the biggest case of graft recorded in the country’s history involving Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC). He was interrogated over the millions of embezzled funds that had been deposited to his bank accounts earlier. Yameen had denied all the charges raised against him.