Former President of the Maldives sentenced to 5 years in prison

A court of the Maldives Republic found former President Abdulla Yameen guilty of money laundering and sentenced to five years in prison with a fine of 5 million US dollars, Report informs citing the TASS.

Yameen has been accused of receiving 1 million U.S. dollars of government money through a private company as part of a deal to lease a number of tropical islands for hotel development.

The Prosecutor General's Office pressed criminal charges against the former president on money laundering after a statement from Maldives Police Service, accusing him of embezzlement and giving false statements to mislead the investigation. Abdullah Yameen pleaded not guilty and denied the charges against him.