Trial on money-laundering, corruption charges against ex-Pres. to begin on Sunday

The trial on two counts of charges on money-laundering and corruption against incarcerated former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, is set to commence on Sunday.

The hearing is set to begin at the Criminal Court at 10am, Sunday.

The state is working to retrieve an additional MVR 591 million from the former president in connection to charges of money-laundering and corruption which were filed at the Criminal Court in connection to the leasing of Fuggiri in Raa atoll for resort development.

Yameen is accused of using undue influence of his position to accept and launder USD one million, approximately MVR 17.2 million from the state.

In a publication in connection to the money-laundering case, the Prosecutor General’s Office earlier revealed that the money was laundered through Sun Construction and Engineering Private Limited and Sun Investment Private Limited.

The Fuggiri corruption case was investigated through the collaborative efforts from the Maldives Police Service (MPS), Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the presidential inquiry commission on asset recovery.

Yameen was convicted on money laundering charges after having been found guilty for laundering USD one million through the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) via a private company Scores of Flair during his presidency, on November 2019. The USD one million acquired as an acquisition cost for Vodamulaa island in Gaaf Alif atoll was deposited to Yameen’s private account

He was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to pay USD five million to MIRA within six months which he failed to pay within the deadline.

The Attorney General’s (AG) Office has since ordered the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) to seek the USD five million incarcerated former president Abdulla Yameen was ordered to pay to the state.