Ex-Maldive Gas chief Maumoon pleads not guilty to fraud charges
The charges stem from accusations that funds were transferred to Maumoon, his family members, and companies.
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Former Managing Director of Maldive Gas, Abdulla Maumoon, on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to seven charges of fraud in a case heard at the Criminal Court.
The hearing, conducted online, addressed allegations of bribery linked to transactions during his tenure at the company.
Prosecutor Kamila Hussein presented the charges, which were denied by Maumoon’s lawyer, Noorul Salam.
The court, presided over by Judge Ismail Shafeeu, set deadlines for further proceedings.
Defence evidence and pre-trial motions are to be submitted by January, with an additional 10 days allowed for the prosecution to file motions related to the defence evidence.
The charges stem from accusations that funds were transferred to Maumoon, his family members, and companies allegedly affiliated with him by 3DH International, a supplier to Maldive Gas.
If convicted, Maumoon faces a basic penalty of three years, two months, and 12 days in prison for each charge, amounting to a total potential sentence of approximately 22 years and three months.
The details of the seven transactions are as follows:
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1-
On April 7, 2016, $29,941.50 was deposited into Maumoon’s Bank of Maldives (BML) account.
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2-
On June 7, 2016, $49,921.50 was deposited into his Bank of Ceylon account, and $12,201.50 into a BML account of Mon Arc, a company linked to Maumoon.
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3-
On August 1, 2016, $49,949.50 was deposited into Mon Arc’s BML account.
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4-
On April 9, 2017, $24,930 was deposited into an Islamic Bank account belonging to I Developers Pvt. Ltd., another company linked to Maumoon.
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5-
On May 15, 2017, $46,500 was allegedly attempted to be deposited into Maumoon’s Islamic Bank account.
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6-
On August 23, 2017, $49,955 was deposited into Maumoon’s Islamic Bank account.
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7-
On October 8, 2017, $34,950 was deposited into the BML account of Maumoon’s brother, Ahmed Hameed.
The total amount involved in the transactions is $298,403.50.
