Abdulla Yameen appears in court for V. Aarah corruption trial

Former Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen appeared in court for a hearing in the V. Aarah corruption trial, marking his first court appearance in over a year. The case involves bribery and money laundering charges against Yameen and former MP Yoosuf Naeem regarding the lease of V. Aarah through the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC).

Prosecutors allege that Yameen received a USD 1 million bribe deposited into his personal bank account in exchange for facilitating the lease. Yameen and Naeem dispute this, claiming the funds resulted from a US dollar exchange transaction where Yameen provided the equivalent amount in Maldivian rufiyaa in cash to Naeem.

During pre-trial motions, the state requested the court to exclude four defense witnesses and a documentary exhibit intended to support the defense's claim. The prosecution argued that this evidence was not disclosed during the initial investigation and that Yameen had exercised his right to remain silent during that period.