Former President Abdulla Yameen has denied the bribery and money laundering charges pressed against him by the state over the lease of Aarah, Vaavu Atoll for resort development during his presidency.
Former President Yameen is accused of accepting USD1 million as a bribe during the lease of Aarah through Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) and laundering the money. Another individual, named Yoosuf Naeem, has also been charged for bribery in the lease of the island.
Responding to the charges at the Criminal Court of the Maldives, the legal team of the former president said details of the criminal offence committed by Yameen are not clear from the charge sheet. The legal team said the charge sheet lacks a clear description of how Yameen influenced the deal to lease Aarah and the reason for committing such an act.
Following the claims by the legal team of Yameen, the state attorneys requested the judge to make a decision on whether the charge sheet is clear. After hearing the arguments on both sides, the judge ruled that the state has fulfilled the requirements to clarify the charges to the defendant. Following this ruling, former President Yameen went on to deny the charges pressed by the state.
Aarah, which is located near Thinadhoo, Vaavu Atoll, had been leased to a private company when it was taken back and handed over to the Felidhoo Island Council in 2015. The island was later handed over to a company called 2G Maldives Private Limited, before leasing the island again to a foreign company. The embezzlement of funds acquired from the lease of Aarah was uncovered during the investigation of the corruption scandal of MMPRC.
Former President Yameen was recently freed from a five-year prison sentence after the Supreme Court of the Maldives overturned the decision by the Criminal Court to convict him of laundering USD1 million received as the acquisition cost for the lease of Vodamula, Gaafu Alifu Atoll, for resort development through MMPRC. However, he is also currently under trial for another case of money laundering and accepting USD1.1 million in bribes for the lease of Fuhgiri, Raa Atoll, for resort development through MMPRC.