Minister of Home Affairs Imran Abdulla has claimed lawyer meetings for the jailed former President Abdulla Yameen are not held because his lawyers do not want to schedule meetings.
The home minister made the remarks after the Criminal Court postponed the trial on the new charges pressed against the former president, after concluding he was not given the opportunity to meet his lawyers before the trial. The Criminal Court has ordered Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) to facilitate lawyer meetings for Yameen before the trial resumes.
Home Minister Imran stated the MCS has tried to arrange lawyer meetings for Yameen multiple times although no court had warranted MCS to arrange the meetings. The minister said the legal team of the former president is completely responsible for not conducting the meetings.
Former President Yameen is charged with money laundering and accepting bribes in relation to the corrupt lease of Fuhgiri, Raa Atoll for resort development through Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC). He is already serving a five-year prison sentence after being convicted of laundering USD 1 million acquired from the lease of another island through MMPRC.