Criminal Court of the Maldives has scheduled to hear the testimonies of former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb and former Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations (MMPRC) Abdulla Ziyath for the Aarah case on August 30.
The court initially scheduled Ziyath’s testimony for today, but at the hearing, former President Abdulla Yameen’s attorneys requested that he testify on the same day as Adeeb to prevent them from conspiring to validate each other’s claims. In response, the state attorneys stated that they do not object to Ziyath and Adeeb testifying on the same day.
At the hearing, the presiding judge asked the state attorneys whether Adeeb could be summoned to the court on that day and the attorneys responded by saying that it would be difficult to immediately summon him, as he is in prison. The judge concluded the hearing after scheduling Ziyath and Adeeb’s testimonies for August 30, 0930hrs. Witness testimonies are also scheduled to be taken on August 18 and 23, during which two morewitnesses will be testifying as well.
Former President Yameen is accused of accepting USD1 million as a bribe during the lease of Aarah through MMPRC and laundering the money. Former MP Yoosuf Naeem has also been charged with bribery in the lease of Aarah.
