Ex-president's appeal trial: hearing scheduled for Thursday
5 ފެބުރުއަރީ 2020 | ބުދަ 10:15Court is expected to reach a decision on Yameen's bail during the hearing of the appeal process
Ex-president Yameen and his legal team
A hearing in the appeal trail of former president Abdulla Yameen has been scheduled at the Criminal Court for Thursday.
The former president’s legal team revealed that they were informed that a hearing has been scheduled for Thursday.
The former president’s legal team made requests at the High Court to issue an order delaying his five-year prison sentence and to make bail arrangements for him, at a time an appeal had been made at the High Court on the five-year prison sentence slapped on him during November.
The first hearing in the former's appeal case was held on 28 January, where deliberations were held on two requests made by Yameen as part of his appeal process. After the hearing, the court revealed that it is set to reach a decision on Yameen's bail during the appeal process, in the next hearing.
Both Yameen’s legal team and the Prosecutor General’s Office representatives were given chances to speak at the last hearing. State prosecutors voiced against granting the ex-president bail.
During the hearing, the former president’s legal representative asserted that the former must be granted bail under rights guaranteed to him under the constitution, highlighting that these rights are ensured for convicts in other countries as well. However, state attorneys asserted that the ex-president was found guilty of money laundering and as such, the state does not believe that he should be released under bail, in any circumstances, as there are no laws that state that such requests may be approved.
The presiding judge over Yameen’s money-laundering trial is Judge Hussain Mazeed. The other two judges presiding over the case are Judge Hussain Shaheed and Judge Mohamed Niyaz.
The former president was convicted on money-laundering charges on 28 November for misappropriating US dollars through the state-owned Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) via a private company Scores of Flair, during his presidency.
He was slapped with a five-year prison sentence and fined USD five million to be paid within in six months.
