The Attorney General's Office (AGO), on Thursday, revealed its decision to file a case at the Civil Court, to acquire the USD 5 million owed by former President Yameen Abdul Gayoom to the state over money laundering charges.
In November 2019, the Criminal Court sentenced Yameen to five years in prison and imposed a fine of USD 5 million, over the embezzlement of MVR 3.3 billion from Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC).
According to an official from the AGO, the move came about as a result of Yameen's failure to pay the amount within the allotted six-month period.
He was found guilty of money laundering over a transaction that involved a deposit of USD 1 million by SOF Pvt Ltd, to his personal account at Maldives Islamic Bank (MIB), and is the first conviction from the relevant charges.
The hefty USD 5 million fine is the largest such sum imposed on an individual by a Maldivian court.
Recently, the state also moved to charge Yameen with two separate accounts of money laundering.
However, the Criminal Court is yet to schedule any hearings.
The High Court had previously denied bail for Yameen before the appeal process for his verdict reaches a conclusion. He is currently incarcerated at Maafushi Prison.
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