The Criminal Court of the Maldives has rescheduled the hearing to issue a verdict on the money laundering and bribery charges against former President Abdulla Yameen over the lease of Aarah, Vaavu Atoll.
The Criminal Court rescheduled the sentencing hearing from November 25 to June 30. During the hearing held on January 27, Criminal Court Judge Ahmed Shakeel responded to the request by former President Yameen to live-stream the hearings by saying the court currently does not have the resources to live-stream the hearings. However, the judge said the hearings will be live-streamed as soon as the resources are acquired. He added the trial will still be open for the public, even if it is not live-streamed.
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.
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.