The Criminal Court has moved up the date for the sentencing hearing in the V. Aarah money-laundering case against former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom.
Member of former President's legal team Ahmed Asif said they had been informed that changes had been brought to the schedule shared by presiding Judge Ahmed Shakeel in the most recent hearing. He said that the changes were brought without prior discussion with the legal team. While the sentencing hearing was initially scheduled for November 25, the date has now been moved up to June 30.
'I believe this decision is the result of influence exerted on the judges by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and the government. This is not a fair trial by any means,' said Adam Asif.
Asif further noted that the change to the schedule would mean back-to-back hearings and concluding the trial in haste.
In the most recent hearing, President Yameen's legal team raised concerns, stating that the court was attempting to conclude the case in haste and that the former president was being discriminated. However, the presiding judge said there was no discrimination in court proceedings. While the hearings are scheduled well in advance, it cannot be said that the court was expediting the case, said the judge.
The State raised money laundering and bribery against the former president, as he is suspected of having deposited funds from the sale of V. Aarah to his personal account and laundered the funds. The trial began at the Criminal Court on January 2. Although court proceedings are open to the public, the hearings are not broadcast live, unlike his previous money-laundering trials.
