Yameen’s Passport Seized By Criminal Court Order

The Criminal Court has issued an order to seize former President Abdullah Yameen’s passport, prohibiting him from leaving the country.

The order comes within hours of the former President’s acquittal of the 2019 Criminal Court verdict which sentenced him to a five-year prison term and to pay a USD$5 million fine. The State had requested the Criminal Court to seize the former President’s passport in relation to new charges that are currently being prepared against him.

Although it is unclear as to the reasons behind the seizure of the former President’s passport, the Criminal Court is currently hearing two cases of money-laundering and bribery in which he is a defendant.

The Supreme Court acquitted the former President stating that the State’s case against him was built on weak evidence, and that there existed major doubts as to whether the funds that had been allegedly embezzled rightfully belonged to the State.