Criminal Court to issue a verdict on Pres Yameen's Aarah case on Sunday

The Criminal Court of the Maldives has scheduled the hearing to issue a verdict in the case against opposition leader and former President Abdullah Yameen Abdul Gayyoom over the lease of V.Aarah for resort development for this Sunday.

The state charged President Yameen with money laundering and bribery in connection with the lease of V.Aarah. The state accuses him of abusing his position and accepting USD 1 million as bribe to facilitate the lease of Aarah to former MP Yoosuf Naseem. Yoosuf Naeem was charged with offering a bribe. Both President Yameen and Yoosuf Naseem pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Final hearings of the case were held last month and the hearing held to deliver the verdict will be held on 25th December 2022.

If found guilty of accepting a bribe President Yameen will face a jail sentence of 3 years and if the money laundering charges are proven he will get another 5 years.

The former president who is also the opposition's presidential candidate in the upcoming presidential elections was charged with money laundering in 2019 as well. He was sentenced to 5 years in prison but Supreme Court of the Maldives indicted him on 30th November 2021.