Yameen Abdullah (Abdulla Yameen)

Yameen Abdullah (Abdulla Yameen)

2022: Sentence - 11 years in prison and $5m fine for money laundering through island lease

On December 25, 2022, it became known that the Criminal Court of the Maldives found former President Abdulla Yameen guilty of money laundering and taking a bribe. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison and a fine of $5 million.

The case involves receiving kickbacks from a private company and illegally leasing the island of Aara to develop the resort. It is alleged that the former head of the Maldives abused his position and received a bribe in the amount of $1 million. The case includes Yusuf Naeem, a former parliamentary representative from the Felidu constituency: according to the investigation, it was he who handed over the bribe.

It is noted that the trial of Yamin began in January 2022. Former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb testified in the case. According to him, the cost of renting the island was specially underestimated from $5 million to $2 million. The former president of the state denies all accusations against him, while his defense asked to postpone the sentencing. However, the court issued a guilty verdict: Abdullah Yameen received seven years in prison for money laundering and another four years for bribery.

Yameen led the Maldives from 2013 to 2018. During his tenure as president, he was accused of corruption, suppressing the media and harassing political opponents. In 2019, Yameen was found guilty of money laundering and sentenced to five years in prison. But two years later, the Supreme Court overturned the verdict, ruling that the evidence in the original trial contained discrepancies and did not conclusively confirm that Yameen laundered $1 million in public funds for personal gain. Yameen lost re-election in 2018 to incumbent President Ibrahim Mohammed Solih^[1]

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