Former President Abdullah Yameen has applied to the High Court seeking an order to suspend the implementation of his 11-year prison sentence.
Last December, the Criminal Court found the former president guilty of money laundering and bribery and sentenced him to 11 years in jail. He was also instructed to pay USD 5 million to MIRA within six months.
The conviction was appealed in the High Court, where the case is currently under deliberation. However, the proceedings are at a halt due to the temporary absence of one of the overseeing judges.
Amid the delay in reaching a verdict in the higher court, Yameen on Monday requested the Criminal Court for a stay order on enforcing the sentence. He had previously made a similar request in writing, but the request was not made in accordance with the rules.
At a recent Supreme Court hearing regarding his eligibility to contest the presidential election, Yameen had voiced his concerns over the prolonged delay in the High Court appeal and described it as a deprivation of his rights through the courts.
