Home Minister Imran Abdulla had requested the meeting with jailed former President Abdulla Yameen, says the Commissioner of Prisons.

The two met on Monday, and the Maldives Correctional Services (MCS) said that the meeting took place during the minister’s visit to assess prison conditions.

Commissioner of Prisons Ahmed Mohamed Fulhu joined the minister during this visit, and was present during the meeting.

Highlighting this, the prisons’ commissioner said that the minister had “personally requested” to meet with the jailed former leader.

However, he declined to reveal details of the discussions between the two.

The meeting took place prior to Yameen’s appeal hearing on Monday, where the court denied to review his bail request.

The former president was admitted at Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in the capital from Thursday to Sunday, to undergo heart-related medical tests.

The former president had highlighted his health issues during a previous appeal hearing, including heart and mental health issues. He added that he has been receiving treatment for the heart condition, even prior to his conviction last November.

Yameen was convicted on money-laundering charges on 28th November 2019, after being found guilty of laundering USD through the state-owned Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) via a private company SoF, during his presidency. Yameen was sentenced to five years in prison, and fined USD five million to be paid within in six months.