Former President Mohamed Nasheed expressed concern today regarding the delay in the appeal of the sentence against Ahmed Saeed (Fenaka Saeed), who was found guilty of corruption during his tenure as the Managing Director of Fenaka Corporation and sentenced to four years in prison by the Criminal Court.
Although the High Court accepted the appeal filed by Saeed in November last year to challenge the four-year prison sentence in January of this year, the trial for the case has not yet commenced.
In relation to this, former President Nasheed stated that it is a matter of concern that Saeed's appeal is stuck in court. He said that the right to appeal, guaranteed under Article 56 of the Constitution, must not be obstructed.
The four-year prison sentence was issued against Saeed in a case involving the release of funds to Blazon Inc. under a 2019 agreement between Fenaka and the company, before Blazon Inc. had completed the work and without verifying that the work was finished.
Upon being found guilty of the crime, Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Adam Mohamed stated while delivering the verdict that although the basic penalty for the offense is imprisonment for one year, seven months, and six days, and despite the state saying there were no aggravating circumstances, the judge has the discretion to increase the degree of the penalty.
Therefore, referring to the relevant article, the Chief Judge stated that the harshest penalty prescribed by law, which is a four-year prison sentence, must be determined.
In addition, charges have been brought against Saeed in a case alleging acts of corruption in Fenaka's purchase of an ice plant established by Kaizan Investment in L. Maamendhoo. While the trial for that case is proceeding in the Criminal Court, he has denied the charges.
Saeed has currently been transferred to temporary house arrest. He has previously noted concerns regarding his health in court, stating that he is seeking medical treatment for a heart condition.
