Hearings in Yameen's second graft trial stall
This is the fourth consecutive hearing cancellation.
By
Fathmath Ahmed Shareef
Criminal Court hearings in the case of money laundering and bribery against former President Abdulla Yameen over the lease of R. Fuggiri as part of the MMPRC corruption scandal, scheduled to run serially after Eid holidays have not begun, with the Criminal Court having had to cancel the hearing scheduled for Tuesday as well.
The prosecution has charged four people with alleged fraud in the lease of Fuggiri for development as a tourist resort. They are:
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Yameen - For accepting a bribe and money laundering
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Ahmed Krik Riza - Being an intermediary in taking bribes and money laundering
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Sun Construction - Money laundering
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Sun Investment - Money laundering
The court adjourned the hearings for the Eid holidays from June 22. The court had scheduled the next hearings for July 2, 4, 6, 9, 11 and 13.
The hearing scheduled for 9am on Tuesday was canceled as Krik Riza did not appear in court, a court official told Atoll Times. However, the court was not informed of the specific reason for his absence, the official said.
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Two hearings scheduled before Eid were also canceled due to Riza being ill
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The first hearing scheduled to be held after the Eid holidays was canceled on Sunday due to Riza's illness as well
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This is the fourth consecutive hearing cancellation
The hearings in the Criminal Court have been scheduled in full swing despite Yameen's defence having had requested the court to delay or shorten the hearings to make way for an expedited trial at the High Court in the appeal over his 11-year jail sentence over the leasing of V. Aarah.
