Prosecution Defends Adeeb and Ziyath Testimony in Yameen’s Aarah Retrial

The prosecution has opposed a defence request to exclude testimony from former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb and former MMPRC managing director Abdulla Ziyath in the retrial of former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, arguing their evidence is supported by substantial corroborating material.

The submission was made during Sunday’s Criminal Court hearing in the V. Aarah corruption and money-laundering case, which focused on pre-trial motions.

Yameen’s defence argued that Adeeb and Ziyath’s testimony should be inadmissible due to hostility toward the former president. Prosecutors rejected the claim, stating verbal assertions alone do not establish personal animosity.

Prosecutors separately sought to exclude testimony from several defence witnesses, including Ahmed Nareesh, Mohamed Ismail, and Shahid.

The State also challenged evidence regarding funds deposited into Yameen’s account, noting he exercised his right to remain silent during police questioning but later presented evidence claiming the money involved a US dollar currency exchange. Citing Section 47(b) of the Criminal Procedure Act and Supreme Court precedent, prosecutors argued non-disclosed investigative evidence should be excluded. The defence countered that previous rulings addressed evidential weight rather than admissibility.

The presiding judge questioned prosecutors over the relevance of evidence relating to Allam Latheef and asked why an unsigned Economic and Youth Council (EYC) document was submitted. Prosecutors maintained the missing signature did not impact its evidentiary value.

The defence further requested the exclusion of EYC documents, a computer forensics report, and unverified audio recordings of alleged phone calls between Yameen and Adeeb. The prosecution acknowledged the audio voices had not been formally verified.

Yameen told the court police never questioned him regarding statements from key prosecution witnesses, arguing the investigation was incomplete.

While Yameen requested online attendance to expedite proceedings, the judge confirmed hearings will remain in person, aiming to conclude the case within the year. The next hearing will be scheduled following the R. Fuggiri case hearing on the 12th of next month.

The allegations against Yameen remain before the court and have not been proven in the ongoing retrial.