Hearing in money laundering case against ex-MP Nihan cancelled

The hearing scheduled at the Criminal Court this Tuesday in the money laundering and bribery case against former Vilimale’ MP Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik has been cancelled.

Nihan, who had served as PPM’s top parliamentarian back when the party had been in power, has been pressed with six charges; one count of money laundering, three counts of accepting a bribe, and two counts of asking for a bribe.

A spokesperson from Criminal Court said a hearing in the case scheduled for this Tuesday has been cancelled at the request of Nihan’s lawyers.

“The lawyers did not specify a reason when they asked to cancel the hearing,” said the spokesperson.

Criminal Court has yet to announce when a hearing in the case will be held next.

Nihan was charged with money laundering and bribery after investigators found he asked for and accepted bribes from former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor in exchange for influence over the decisions he made as Vilimale’ MP and chair of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, and kept and used the illegally obtained funds.

The State said that none of the funds in question were disclosed in his financial statements between 2014 and 2019.

Nihan has a travel ban against him pending the outcome of his trial, and the State has requested the court for the seizure of the funds he obtained through illegitimate means, along with any assets and other funds which may have been mixed with it.