Naeem appeals jail sentence over Aarah graft
As far as the offence was committed, it cannot be granted the relief of being transferred to house arrest as it is a premeditated offence, the court had ruled.
By
Fathmath Ahmed Shareef
Former MP Yusuf Naeem, who was found guilty of bribing former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom in the V. Aarah case, has also appealed to the High Court against his conviction.
The Criminal Court ruled in December that Yameen was paid USD 1 million in bribes as part of a lease deal for Aarah. He is serving a three-year, two-month and 12-day jail term after being found guilty.
After his lawyer moved the High Court challenging the verdict, the court on Monday accepted his appeal.
According to the judgment, the offence of bribery proved against Yusuf Naeem is a class III offence. The basic punishment for the offence is three years, two months and 12 days in jail.
Naeem's counsel has sought that the sentence be reduced keeping in view his health and age and he should be placed under house arrest. The trial court, however, concluded that there was no situation in which the sentence could be reduced or raised.
As far as the offence was committed, it cannot be granted the relief of being transferred to house arrest as it is a premeditated offence, the court had ruled.
Yameen has been sentenced to 11 years in prison and a fine of MVR 53 million after being found guilty of money laundering and accepting bribes in the Aarah case.
Details of the case and timeline
The island is located in a small lagoon near V. Thinadhoo. The island was earlier allotted to a company owned by former DRP leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali for agricultural purposes, but it was taken back to the government in 2015.
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August 9, 2015: V. Aarah was transferred to Ministry of Tourism
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August 13, 2015: Yusuf Naeem forms a company called 2G Private Limited where he held 99% stake
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A cheque of USD 1 million was given for the lease acquisition cost of the island and USD 1 million to Yusuf Naeem’s personal account separately; the money was deposited in Yusuf Naeem's account on August 13, 2015
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August 15, 2015: Yameen received a cheque of USD 1 million from Yusuf Naeem's account; two days later the money was deposited in Yameen's account
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September 8, 2015: 99% of 2G Private Limited's was sold to LA Resorts Private Limited
