Yameen’s money laundering trial scheduled to begin on July 11

Former Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s money laundering trial is scheduled to begin at the Criminal Court on Thursday, July 11.

The Criminal Court has also scheduled the first preliminary hearing in the case against Aishath Azima Shakoor, the Legal Affairs Minister at the President’s Office during Yameen’s administration, on the same date.

Yameen was charged with money laundering after police found evidence of two USD 500,000 deposits – totally USD 1 million – made by SOF Private Limited to one of Yameen’s bank accounts.

SOF Private Limited is the company accused of laundering the funds embezzled from Maldives Marketing and Public Relations (MMPRC).

The police report that Yameen refused to return the USD 1 million to the State as instructed, but instead transferred the money to his bank accounts at Maldives Islamic Bank and derived monetary benefit from transactions.

Azima has been charged with facilitating money laundering and perjury.

Yameen was originally ordered to jail pending the outcome of his trial at a preliminary hearing in the case by the Criminal Court on February 18, but the order was later overturned by the High Court on March 28 based on a procedural irregularity.