Former President Yameen's trial

The hearing has concluded. Court gave Yameen five days to submit witnesses.

The next hearing will be held on 4 August.

Judge Hailam has rejected two witnesses presented by the state, Allam and Ishfah, as they were presented as witnesses after the charges were raised.

Yameen's attorneys said that the points made by the prosecutor do not add up and requested the court to reject the two testimonies by state.

Yameen says that he does not believe there won't be enmity between him and Adeeb as he was sentenced under the case regarding the presidential speedboat explosion. He said that it is "human nature" to develop enmity. As such, Ziyath will also have hatred towards Yameen following the measures taken against him during Yameen's administration, he said.

Yameen's attorneys believes that the witness testimonies given by former VP Adeeb and MMPRC's former MD Abdulla Ziyath will be based on enmity.

State noted that these are just two of the many submitted as witnesses

Yameen says he "challenges" prosecutors statement that the police investigation was launched after FIU submitted the suspicious transaction reports (STR), saying that he does not believe that the police would have initiated an agreement over the STR

State's attorney noted that there is no obstacle to the police broadening their investigation, as per criminal procedures in the country

Yameen said that the state needs the USD one million, which he has kept as mandated under the law. Thus he does not believe why the charges are being raised against him.

Yameen said that he was notified of the two cheques that were deposited in 2016 by then-President of ACC.

Yameen said that the funds received through SoF were from former VP Adeeb and that Adeeb had said that the funds had been deposited. The bank had also not notified when the funds were deposited. It must have notified the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) if they were unsure of the funds origins. However it was acquired, they were from Adeeb.

Speaking during the court proceeding, Yameen has stated that the Maldives Islamic Bank (MIB) had not notified him that the funds were deposited to his account. He stated that it has no links to Scores of Flair, SoF, the company implicated in the scandal.

Yameen's attorneys have stated that they do not know where the funds deposited to the escrow account came from and that they believe it was deposited from former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb.

State refutes defense's claims that charges were raised against Yameen against articles 17 and 20 of the Maldives constitution. State attorneys said that more issues were discovered during investigations by police, ACC and the presidential inquiry commission. As such with no doubt, the state has more evidence now. Although investigations are still ongoing, cannot say that it is incomplete even now.

Judge Hailam has also denied defence's objection claiming the charge does not specify how funds were acquired through corruption; he noted that the law states corrupt practices

State's attorneys says that there is no reason why this case cannot be classified under article 22 of the Criminal Procedure Act.

Yameen's attorneys state that the state is not sure whether Yameen had committed an act of corruption. Lack of adequate time is an obstruction to the trial proceeding.

State attorneys state that they believe the funds were acquired through corrupt practices and that they must prove their suspicion.

Yameen's attorneys state that the charges do not specify a specific act of corruption that Yameen had committed. This must be cleared.

If suspicion regarding the transactions is not proven, cannot deem it a criminal act: defence

Presiding judge over the case, Hailam stated that although the state prosecutors have not highlighted a time period, the trial can proceed

Funds deposited to the escrow account were acquired from a third party. This was against the escrow agreement made with the ACC

Yameen's attorney stated that the accusations do not highlight a specific date or time Yameen committed the crime and thus, is against Article 82 (e) of the Criminal Procedure Act

State attorneys accuse Yameen of deliberately acquiring the funds while knowing that the funds belong to the state from Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), as the transaction was done after questioning on 7 February 2017

Yameen's attorneys state that the charges do not state a situation that created suspicion or how he was involved in money laundering

The USD one million was deposited to Maldives Islamic Bank accounts under Yameen's name, on 14 March 2017 in a way that confuses it's origins and to benefit from it.

This was done against the agreement with Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which required Yameen to transfer the funds to an escrow account

State raised the charges under the regulations stated under the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Act 10/2014