Supreme Court to deliver verdict Wednesday on whether new evidence can be admitted in Yameen’s Aarah retrial

The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing on the new evidence filed by the prosecution against former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom in the tourism lease case of V. Aarah for Wednesday.

According to the Supreme Court schedule, the verdict on the prosecution’s case against Yameen is set for Wednesday at 8:45 am.

On December 25, 2022, the lower court found Yameen guilty and sentenced him to 11 years in prison. However, after a lengthy trial, the High Court in late 2023 quashed the conviction and ordered a retrial.

The High Court then ruled that the new evidence against Yameen could not be admitted. The lower court had found Yameen guilty of bribery and money laundering in the Aarah case after accepting the new evidence.

The prosecution has therefore appealed the matter to the Supreme Court.

Hearings in the case were concluded after a bench change and an additional hearing held on September 29 last year.

Concluding that hearing, presiding judge Aishath Shujoon said, “This is a pending case but a hearing was held today to clarify some more issues.”

She said she hoped to reach a decision on the matter as soon as possible.

Justice Shujoon is presiding over the case. The bench also includes Justice Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim and Justice Abdulla Hameed.