A hearing has been scheduled for next week in former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom's money laundering trial.
The hearing is scheduled to take place at 9:30 am next Wednesday, and will be broadcast live on national TV.
While the witness statements of all but one witness named by the state against Yameen have been recorded during past hearings, the remaining witness has refused to testify against the former president. Alleging that he is being threatened to give his testimony in a certain manner, former ACC head Hassan Luthufee has informed the Criminal Court that he will not testify in court. Hassan Latheef currently resides in Malaysia.
Therefore, the state requested the presiding judge Ahmed Hailam to consider the statement given by Luthufee to Maldives Police Service during investigation, and asked to allow arrangements to playback the audio visual recording of his statement in the court room.
While the defendant himself and his attorneys objected to playing the video, Judge Hailam said he would make a decision on whether to allow the video statement to be played, during the next hearing. While President Yameen's sole defense witness, former MMA Governor Azeema Adam will give her witness statement during the next hearing, both the prosecution and defense will then present their closing statements and a verdict will be reached in the hearings that follow.
If the money laundering charges against President Yameen are proven, he will receive a sentence between 5 to 15 years in prison.
