Former president Abdulla Yameen's appeal of his 11-year jail sentence has been delayed after one judge on the bench took leave to attend to family matters.
Yameen was convicted of accepting and laundering a USD 1.1 million bribe from Yoosuf Naeem to lease Vaavu Aarah island as part of the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) corruption scandal during his administration.
Four hearings have been held so far in the appeal. The points of appeal submitted by Yoosuf Naeem were debated at the first two hearings. Yameen's points of appeal were debated during the second and third hearings. The process has not yet ended.
Adhadhu has learned that Judge Huzaifa Mohamed is on family leave. She took leave due to the illness of her child.
Judge Mohamed Saleem is also due to take leave on July 15, Adhadhu has learned.
The High Court did not provide much detail as the holiday of judges relates to private information.
Yameen’s predicament
Yameen will be barred from contesting in the upcoming presidential election unless his prison sentence is overturned.
According to the constitution, if a presidential candidate has been convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to a term of more than 12 months, three years must have elapsed since his release or pardon.
On top of the Aarah conviction, Yameen is on trial on separate charges of alleged bribery for the leasing of Raa Fuggiri island.
Hearings of the Fuggiri trial are ongoing at the criminal court as the Aarah case appeal continues at the High Court. Yameen believes that the Fuggiri trial is being fast-tracked with consecutive hearings scheduled close together.
However, five hearings were recently cancelled due to co-defendant Ahmed ‘Krik’ Riza’s illness and the trial is behind schedule.
