Criminal Court has sentenced former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom to five years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of USD 5 million over money laundering charges.
The Criminal Court issued its sentence in the case last Thursday afternoon.
The former President was convicted guilty of money laundering following a unanimous by the five-member judge bench presiding over the case.
The charges focused on a payment of $1m (£770,000) by a private company that was supposed to go to the state.
The bench which delivered the verdict consists of Judge Ali Rasheed, Ahmed Shakeel, Ali Adam, Hussain Faiz and Mohamed Sameer.
Acting Chief Judge of Criminal Court, Ali Rasheed, who headed a panel of five judges trying the case, said that testimonials of the State’s witnesses along with the money transactions has established two elements of the crime of money laundering; criminal act and criminal intent.
He further said that it has been established beyond any reasonable doubt that former President, Yameen had taken money that he knew was embezzled from the state.
According to Acting Chief Judge of Criminal Court, Ali Rasheed, the bench reached its unanimous verdict following 10 days of deliberations.
