SC schedules additional hearing in Yameen’s appeal case over money laundering conviction

Supreme Court has scheduled an additional hearing in the appeal case lodged by former Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom over his money laundering conviction for Thursday.

Supreme Court has decided to schedule an additional hearing in the case, after hearings of the case were said to have been concluded on October 5. Sun has been informed that the additional hearing has been initiated by the Court itself.

However, in the last hearing of the case held, the Court had said that it would be issuing its ruling before they go to recess.

Yameen was found guilty of laundering USD 1 million from the sale of GA. Vodamula  by the Criminal Court on November 28, 2019. Yameen promptly appealed the conviction with the High Court, which sided against him and ruled to uphold the original sentence on January 21, 2021. 

He subsequently appealed the conviction with the Supreme Court, which began appeal proceedings in September.

During the appeal proceedings at the Supreme Court  - Yameen’s lawyers, in addition to presenting a motion for bail, had also presented a motion for a stay of the execution of his sentence, and a motion for a stay of the payment of his fine.

The court denied bail, and though it refused to issue a stay of execution of his full sentence, did issue a stay of payment of his USD 5 million fine until the court reaches its decision.