Yameen’s Appeal Hearing Set for Thursday

The High Court has slated the appeal hearing for former President Abdullah Yameen’s 11-year incarceration sentence on charges of money laundering and bribery is scheduled to take place this Thursday.

Legal representatives of Yameen have formally requested a suspension of the execution of his prison term until the High Court reaches a decision on his appeal.

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In December 2021, the lower court had also mandated that President Yameen settle a sum of MVR 52 million linked to money laundering within a span of six months.

This past Sunday, the Supreme Court rendered a verdict rendering Yameen ineligible to participate in the forthcoming presidential election. This ruling was attributed to his ongoing 11-year custodial sentence and his failure to satisfy the imposed financial penalty in the aforementioned case.

The opposition coalition comprised of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the People’s National Congress (PNC) has leveled allegations, claiming that Yameen’s opportunity to participate in the presidential election has been compromised due to the postponement of the appeal hearing for his conviction by the Criminal Court, as decided by the High Court.

In response to the delay, the leadership of the PPM/PNC coalition has engaged the High Court, urging expedited proceedings for the appeal hearing. The High Court, in turn, has provided assurance that the appeal hearing will indeed convene on Thursday.