State files lawsuit to recover Yameen's unpaid fine

The government has filed a civil lawsuit aimed at recovering the fine imposed on opposition leader and former president Abdulla Yameen.

Yameen was sentenced to 11 years in prison for money laundering and graft charges, along with a USD 5 million fine that was to be paid within six months. The verdict was delivered on December 25, 2022, and the deadline for paying the fine lapsed in June.

However, Yameen has not yet paid the fines and has claimed that the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) has not provided him with the directive to pay the fine, despite the expiration of the timeframe for payment.

The Attorney General's Office has filed a case in the Civil Court due to Yameen's failure to pay the money within the specified judgment period. According to Article 363 of the Civil Procedure Code, the Civil Court is authorized to enforce the civil aspect of judgments issued by the Criminal Court.

Despite Yameen's claim that he did not receive a notice from MIRA directing him to pay the fine, the Supreme Court has contradicted this by stating that there is a document indicating that MIRA had indeed requested payment of the fine. The judge said that the letter mentioned the expiration of the six-month deadline for the fine to be paid.

"When the document was sent to the detention facility where Yameen was held, he requested the Corrections Officers to deliver it to his legal team, as stated in the affidavit dated July 6, 2023. Yameen had both signed and provided his fingerprint on the document," said Justice Husnu Sood.

The outstanding fine was one of the reasons for the rejection of Yameen's candidacy.

Article 109 (b) of the Maldives Constitution stipulates that a person with a proven debt to be repaid will be ineligible to contest the presidential election unless the debt is settled.

The Supreme Court ruled that imprisonment imposed as a criminal punishment is a physical penalty that the individual must undergo, whereas a fine serves as a financial burden and constitutes a civil obligation.