News Desk
A new hearing in the corruption case against former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom regarding the lease of V. Aarah has been scheduled at the Criminal Court for next week.
The move follows a High Court decision to overturn President Yameen’s previous 11-year prison sentence in the same case, ordering the Criminal Court to conduct a retrial. The lower court proceedings had been put on hold pending a Supreme Court ruling, which ultimately rejected new evidence submitted by the prosecution.
Meanwhile, a separate hearing in the corruption and money laundering trial involving the lease of R. Fuggiri—originally scheduled for September 23—was cancelled at the request of the state. The Criminal Court confirmed the delay was granted after state prosecutors fell ill.
The prosecution alleges that President Yameen accepted USD 1 million in bribes and laundered the funds during the lease of Fuggiri. While witness testimony in the Fuggiri trial has concluded, proceedings have remained stalled at the evidence evaluation stage. Sun Construction and Sun Investment also face money laundering charges in connection with the deal.
During earlier testimony, former Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) employee Mohamed Shifau told the court from the Maldivian High Commission in Malaysia that Fuggiri was leased below its initial quoted price. Shifau noted that given market demand at the time, the island could have fetched USD 3 million. Former MMPRC Managing Director Abdulla Ziyath previously testified that former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb informed him the price reduction had been authorized by Yameen.
Charges against Ahmed Krik Riza, who was accused of acting as a broker in the Fuggiri transaction, were previously withdrawn by the state.
Following his initial conviction in the Aarah case, President Yameen appealed the 11-year sentence and fine to the High Court. While the High Court agreed to suspend the fine pending the appeal outcome, it denied the request to suspend his prison sentence.
