Male, 26 December 2022 (GNP): Former President of Maldives, Abdulla Yameen, was found guilty of corruption and money laundering charges connected to collecting bribes from a private firm by the Maldives criminal court on Sunday.
He was sentenced to 11 years in jail and fined $5 million, but all allegations have been refuted by Yameen.
In spite of the ending of his tenure in 2018, the Progressive Party of the Maldives has nominated him to run for president in the 2023 election.
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The former President of Maldives was already handed a five-year prison term and a $5 million fine in 2019 for stealing $1 million in public funds, which the prosecution alleged was gained through the leasing of resort development rights.
After being given a term in 2020, Yameen was put under house arrest. A few months later, he was freed.
Yameen, the half-brother of former dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, has returned to active politics and frightened New Delhi with a campaign against Indian engagement in the Maldives after his release.
Due to its proximity to vital Indian Ocean shipping lanes, the Maldives is the focal point of a dispute between India and China over influence in the region.