Supreme Court changes bench, schedules hearing in Yameen’s case for Sept. 29

The Supreme Court has changed the bench hearing a petition filed by the state seeking the admittance of new evidence against former Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom as he is retried in the Aarah money laundering case, scheduling a hearing in the case for late September.

Yameen was sentenced to 11 years in prison on December 25, 2022, on charges of bribery and money laundering in connection to the sale of V. Aarah. The High Court overturned the conviction on April 18, 2024, citing major legal irregularities.

But instead of a full exoneration, the court overturned the two convictions and ordered a retrial in the case.

Yameen was accused of accepting a bribe from former Felidhoo MP Yoosuf Naeem for the sale of Aarah. During the original Criminal Court trial, Yameen produced evidence to support his claim that the money was for a US dollar exchange transaction. The court had accepted the admission of new evidence by the prosecution to counter the evidence produced by the defense.

The High Court, in its April 2024 ruling, instructed the lower court to disregard the new state evidence. The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) filed an appeal with the Supreme Court arguing that the order by the High Court to disregard the evidence is in contravention of precedence set by the Supreme Court.

The original Supreme Court bench selected to hear the petition was composed of justices Aisha Shujoon, Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, and Dr. Azmiralda Zahir – the latter of whom was dismissed by the Parliament in a no-confidence motion on May 14.

Azmiralda has now been replaced by Abdulla Hameed – who was appointed to the Supreme Court on June 11.

The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing in the case for September 29.

Yameen’s retrial has been put on hold until the Supreme Court makes a decision on the appeal filed regarding admittance of new evidence.

Yameen’s acquittal in the Aarah case had marked the second time for a court to overturn a conviction against the former Maldivian leader. In 2021, the Supreme Court overturned a five-year sentence issued against him for money laundering in connection to the sale of GA. Vodamulla – another island which was leased for resort development during his administration.

The conviction in the Aarah case had disqualified Yameen from contesting the 2023 presidential elections. Though he initially asked the then-opposition PPM-PNC (Progressive Party of Maldives-People’s National Congress) coalition to boycott the election, he later endorsed President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, who won the vote taken by the coalition’s joint senate to produce a backup candidate.

Yameen was transferred home on October 1, 2023 – a day after President Muizzu won the presidential election.

But less than a week after President Muizzu took office in November, Yameen left the ruling PPM-PNC and initiated efforts to form a new party, the People’s National Front (PNF).

He later grew increasingly vocal in his criticism of President Muizzu’s administration, and has repeatedly alleged that President Muizzu and other members of the PPM-PNC leadership had never wanted him freed.