The Prosecutor General’s Office (PG) has accused former president Abdulla Yameen of directing the corruption linked to the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), as his trial over an alleged USD1 million bribe continued in the Criminal Court today.
Yameen is charged with accepting USD1 million in bribes and laundering the money.
During a summary hearing, prosecution lawyer Ahmed Shafeeu told the court that the MMPRC corruption scheme had been carried out under Yameen’s direct instructions.
Shafeeu cited the appointment of former vice-president Ahmed Adeeb as tourism minister and later as Vice-President, despite information about Adeeb’s alleged corruption. He also said Adeeb was given responsibility of the Tourism Ministry even after becoming Vice-President.
The prosecution argued that these decisions demonstrated Yameen’s trust in Adeeb and were linked to financial interests.
Shafeeu also cited the leasing of Raa atoll Fuhggiri as an example of a transaction intended to generate money for Yameen.
The property was leased to Dubai-based Classic City Island Holdings for USD1.5 million after an earlier decision to lease it for USD400,000 was changed.
According to the prosecution, the government had initially sought to lease the property for USD400,000 for state revenue, while the proposed arrangement directed the remaining amount to Yameen and the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM). The USD400,000 figure would have remained the official price, the prosecution said.
The arrangement did not proceed as planned because the Dubai company refused to accept the deal, citing the low price, Shafeeu said.
He argued that Fuhggiri was worth USD5 million when it was leased for USD1.5 million. Although the official lease price was USD1.5 million, the company had spent USD2.6 million using money received by Yameen, he said.
Ahmed ‘Crick’ Riza was also charged with attempting to obtain bribes on Yameen’s behalf in connection with the lease. The prosecution later dropped the case against him.
Sun Construction and Engineering Pvt Ltd and Sun Investment Pvt Ltd, companies owned by Meedhoo MP Ahmed Siyam, were charged with laundering US$1 million. The charges were not proved in the Criminal Court, and the prosecution has decided not to appeal, saying a further appeal was unlikely to change the outcome.
Yameen’s defence has questioned why the prosecution is proceeding with his case after dropping charges against other defendants.
In response, Shafeeu argued that Yameen was in a different position from the other accused and that treating people in different circumstances identically would be unfair. He said the alleged abuse of presidential authority to obtain money in connection with corruption distinguished Yameen’s case.
“The corruption in Fuhggiri was a corruption to get bribes for Yameen,” Shafeeu told the court.
The trial has been ongoing in the Criminal Court for a long time. If no further hearing is required, the next hearing will be for sentencing. Under the law, the court must deliver its judgment within 30 days of the hearing.
A separate case concerning alleged fraud in the lease of Aarah in Vaavu atoll is also pending in the Criminal Court. The High Court overturned an earlier decision and ordered a retrial.
