Monday
23rd Dec 2024
Dhivehi Edition
The Supreme Court has ruled to reject Ahmed Adeeb's testimony against Hamid "Seytu" Ismail in the Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC) embezzlement case.
The appeal lodged by Hamid to the Supreme Court included former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb's testimony as part of the new evidence submitted by the state.
Hamid "Seytu" had been convicted of the crime of embezzling USD 5 million in state funds; paid by Kuredhu Holdings Pvt Ltd to the MMPRC for the lease of Lh. Mabihura for resort use. The court found that the funds had been deposited in a bank account that belonged to Millennium Capital Management Pvt Ltd, a company where Hamid is a partner.
Hamid "Seytu" was accused of having used these funds.
He sentenced to two years and eighteen months of prison-time by the Criminal Court.
In addition to Adeeb, charges had been laid against Abdullah Ziyath, former Managing Director of the MMPRC. Both had confessed to the crime through a plea bargain.
The State submitted Adeeb's testimony as evidence. Hamid's lawyers said that as Adeeb had participated with Hamid in the crime: Adeeb's testimony could not be accepted.
Justice, Ali Rasheed, agreed that Adeeb's new testimony could not be accepted and noted that Adeeb had indeed participated with Hamid "Seytu" in the crime.
It is noteworthy that the same Judge Ali Rasheed, presiding over former President Yameen Abdul Gayyoom's case, had chosen to accept Adeeb's testimony when the case had been tried in the Criminal Court.
The judges presiding over the case at the Supreme Court were Judge Ali Rasheed, Judge Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, and Judge Mahaz Ali.