Sun Construction received a check signed by Ahmed 'Krik' Riza to deposit US dollars, the company's finance director at the time, Sri Lankan national Shritha Kumar, told the court today.
Former President Abdulla Yameen is on trial along with businessman Riza and the Sun Investment and Sun Construction and Engineering companies over the Raa Fuggiri lease, which was part of the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) corruption scandal that occurred during Yameen's administration.
Only two prosecution witnesses were yet to testify as the trial against Yameen and the Sun companies resumed today.
The court started hearing testimony from Sun Construction's former finance director Shritha Kumar at the hearing on Thursday morning.
In his testimony, Kumar said he was first told about a dollar exchange transaction by Ahmed Siyam Mohamed, owner of the Sun companies and president of the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA), which was part of the governing coalition at the time.
After that, MDA Vice President Ali Mauroof and another person met him, Kumar said. The check handed to him that day to be deposited in Sun Construction company's account was signed by Riza, he said.
The money was deposited to Sun Construction's account but the company did not have a currency exchange license, Kumar said. The money was then transferred to the account of Sun Investment, which did have the license.
Asked by the prosecutor for the amount on the check, the witness said he did not remember the exact figure but that it was more than one million dollars.
Mauroof came for a meeting with the same person after that as well, the witness said. A receipt was handed over claiming that Yameen has paid the total amount owed in Dhivehi Ruifyaa. The receipt was also signed by Riza, he said.
Despite more questions from the prosecutor, the witness said he did not check whether the Dhivehi Rufiyaa had been paid or how it was done and other such details as it was not his responsibility.
After internet connection problems occurred as the witness testified online from the Maldives High Commission in Sri Lanka, the judge asked the prosecution to make a decision on hearing the rest of the testimony later. The hearing was adjourned as the prosecution wished to discuss the matter.
In the Fuggiri case, Yameen was charged with money laundering and accepting a bribe. Riza was charged with money laundering and acting as an intermediary to bribery. Both Sun companies were charged with money laundering.
But the charges against Riza have since been withdrawn. The case was taken back until the police could analyze an audio recording of an alleged conversation between Riza and Assistant Commissioner of Police Mohamed Riyaz. The audio was submitted by Riza as defense evidence. The court approved the withdrawal of charges for resubmission after the analysis.
Yameen's investigation statement
Adhadhu has obtained a copy of the statement given by Yameen during the police investigation, in which he shared detailed information about the financial statement in his defense.
Yameen told the investigation that the USD 1.1 million flagged by the state was received after MVR 17 million in exchange was handed over to Meedhoo MP Siyam. The transaction with Siyam was conducted in 2016, he told the police.
Yameen said he bought USD 1.1 million from Siyam in order to keep an adequate amount in an account opened under his name at the Maldives Islamic Bank (MIB).
According to Yameen's statement, the transaction occurred after the MMPRC scandal broke and former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb was arrested.
Yameen said he only spoke to Siyam about the dollar transaction and that money-related matters took place in his home Dhoovehi.
After the USD 1.1 million was transferred from the Sun Investment account as agreed with Siyam, a document on the receipt of funds was signed at home in the presence of a witness on behalf of Siyam, Yameen said.
Yameen said he did not know who the person was when he gave the statement, but his lawyers said during the trial that it was a Sri Lankan national named Mr Thangaraj, who was an employee of Siyam's company.
Fuggiri case
According to the prosecution, Yameen used his influence as president to collect USD 1,117,000 as a bribe through Riza and laundered the money through Sun Investment and Sun Construction and Engineering.
Fuggiri was leased through the MMPRC without a bidding process to the Dubai-based Classic Citi Island Holding for USD 1.55 million. While bribery was suspected in the leasing of Fuggiri, the Pandora Papers revealed that influential Indian businessmen were behind the deal.
On May 26, 2016, USD 1.1 million was transferred from an account opened under Riza's name at the Bank of Ceylon to Sun Construction. The money was deposited as an "in-house transfer" on June 7, 2016 to an account opened by Sun Investment at the Bank of India.
On the same day, the money was deposited with an additional USD 800 to an account opened under Yameen's name at the Islamic Bank.
Yameen, Krik Riza and the Sun companies say that the transactions were unrelated to the Fuggiri lease, claiming it was a currency exchange transaction with a Sun company to convert US dollars. Defence witnesses were submitted to prove the claim.
