Ex-pres. to appear in plea hearing on Sunday in Fuhgiri corruption trial

Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom is to attend a plea hearing for charges pressed against him in relation to the R. Fuhgiri corruption case at Criminal Court on Sunday.

The hearing is scheduled to take place at 2pm on Sunday.

Yameen, who is being charged with money laundering, in addition to accepting bribes while in public office in relation to the leasing of R. Fuhgiri for resort development in the MMPRC scandal, was presented with the two charges against him by the state in a hearing held on 7 January.

Yameen and his legal team maintain the charges pressed against him are "unclear," and that they have not been given access to certain documents in relation to the case. The Court has since declared that all documents relevant to the case and charges pressed against Yameen have been shared with his counsel.

Sunday's hearing will see Yameen plead either guilty or not guilty to the charges raised against him, which are that of money laundering and accepting bribes while in office. As other parties are also charged in relation to the Fuhgiri corruption, criminal proceedings can continue only after the conclusion of all preliminary hearings for this case.

In addition to Yameen, two companies owned by his close associate and MP for Meedhoo constituency Ahmed Siyam and one Ahmed Krik Riza, also face charges in this case.

The charges detail that Yameen acquired $1,117,000 in bribes for leasing R. Fuhgiri, and that he had employed Krik Riza to help funnel the money through Sun Construction & Engineering Pvt. Ltd. and Sun Investments Pvt. Ltd. to launder the funds.

Yameen is already serving a five-year prison sentence in relation to a separate MMPRC corruption scandal; he was convicted of money laundering after having embezzled and transferred to his personal account, USD 1 million from the acquisition cost reserved for the state in the leasing and development of GA. Vodumulaa as a resort.