PG appeals to SC requesting admission of new evidence in Yameen case

Prosecutor General's Office has made an appeal with the Supreme Court to admit new evidence against former president Abdulla Yameena in the bribery and money laundering case against him following the High Court's decision to quash a lower court ruling which initially gave Yameen an 11 year prison sentence.

Yameen was convicted of money laundering and accepting a bribe of USD one million by the Criminal Court in 2022 over the lease of Vaavu atoll Aarah. The ruling was dismissed by High Court, declaring that new evidence submitted by the state against Yameen would not be admissible. Based on this, the High Court also ordered the Criminal Court to hold a retrial after casting aside said new evidence.

In light of this, Prosecutor General's Office said that the High Court's verdict contradicts with previous rulings of the Supreme Court. As such, a request to appeal the case was sent to the Supreme Court last Wednesday, the office said.

In the case, the state requested the Supreme Court to declare that the Criminal Court must re-evaluate the decision on accepting the evidence.

PG Office said that this request would not impact the High Court's decision ordering Criminal Court to hold a retrial.

Along with Yameen, former Felidhoo MP Yoosuf Naeem was also convicted of bribery and money laundering in the case, and received a prison term of three years. That verdict was also overturned by High Court and ordered Criminal Court to review the case again.