Court acquits ex-Maldive Gas chief Maumoon of 5 remaining charges
In September, he was convicted on two counts and sentenced to 12 years, nine months and 18 days in prison.
Former Managing Director of Maldives Gas, Abdulla Maumoon, has been acquitted of the remaining five charges in the Maldives Gas bribery case.
Maumoon had been charged with depositing a total of USD 298,403.50 in seven transactions between 2016 and 2017 while serving as Managing Director of Maldives Gas during the administration of former President Abdulla Yameen.
He faced seven counts in the case. In September, he was convicted on two counts and sentenced to 12 years, nine months and 18 days in prison.
At a hearing held on Thursday, the Criminal Court dismissed the remaining five charges.
The five charges related to the following transactions:
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On 1 August 2016, USD 49,949.50 deposited into a Bank of Maldives account of Mon Arc Company, linked to Maumoon
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On 9 April 2017, USD 24,930 deposited into an Islamic bank account of I Developers Pvt Ltd, a company linked to Maumoon
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On 15 May 2017, an attempted deposit of USD 46,555 into Maumoon’s Islamic Bank account
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On 23 August 2017, USD 49,955 deposited into Maumoon’s Islamic Bank account
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On 8 October 2017, USD 34,950 deposited into a Bank of Maldives account of Maumoon’s brother, Hameed
The two earlier convictions were based on transactions in which funds entered Maumoon’s personal bank account. The charges dismissed on Thursday related to transactions in accounts linked to him as well as his own accounts.
Presiding Judge Ismail Shafeeu ruled that the five charges were not proved because the prosecution failed to establish that the funds had entered Maumoon’s personal account as alleged.
The Prosecutor General’s Office said on Thursday that it will appeal the verdict. The office said the court had dismissed the charges without giving due consideration to the evidence submitted by the prosecution.
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