Lawyers: Yameen requested to be allowed to meet reporters and visit party office

The lawyers of former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom - who is currently serving a prison sentence in home confinement – has identified the further easements sought by Yameen from Maldives Correctional Service as the opportunity to allow him to meet reporters and his visit his party’s office.

Yameen was sentenced to 11 years in prison and slapped with a USD 5 million fine on December 25, 2022, after he was found guilty of money laundering and bribery charges in connection to the sale of V. Aarah for resort development. The conviction has been appealed with the High Court, which is nearing its end.

He was transferred from Maafushi Prison to his home in Male’ City on October 1^st. Later on, Corrections significantly eased the term of his home confinement, allowing the former president to leave home to exercise and attend meetings among other purposes, limited to Male’, Hulhumale’ and Vilimale’.

Corrections on Tuesday said the service has informed Yameen of their decision against granting any further easements as any further easements would contradict the law.

Lawyer Adam Shameem, a member of Yameen’s legal team, on Wednesday, shared the easement requested Yameen in a post on X. Underscoring that Yameen had been banned from visiting TV stations and guesting on TV shows, Shameem said the former president had requested to allow reporters to visit his home or office and ask him questions and take statements.

The second easement requested had been to allow Yameen to meet the people he desires at the party office instead of his home.

Yameen has visited the party office for meetings before he sought permission in the first place. Corrections have investigated Yameen for violating the terms of his confinement. Despite threatening to revoke existing easements if he continues in this trajectory, no action has been taken against the former president to date.