The High Court ordered on Thursday to pause the trial hearings of the charges pressed against former President Abdulla Yameen regarding the Raa atoll Fuggiri case.
The Criminal Court is currently hearing the case against Yameen, who is accused of taking a bribe while leasing Fuggiri and using the money from the bribe to launder money. Charges have also been levied against other parties in addition to Yameen in this case.
The High Court ordered to halt this case as Yameen's lawyers had filed an appeal in the appeals court regarding previous verdicts made by the Criminal Court against Yameen and requested to halt current proceedings until the appeal is over.
In its order, the three-judge bench of the High Court said that they direct that the Criminal Court not proceed with the Fuggiri case until the High Court makes a decision regarding the appeal or until otherwise directed.
Currently, the Criminal Procedure Act requires the high court to decide such cases within a maximum of 14 days.
Yameen is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence after being found guilty of bribery and money laundering in leasing Vaavu Aarah. As long as the verdict is in place, he will lose his chance to run for president.