The Supreme Court has accepted a request by former President Abdullah Yameen asking for a speedy trial during his appeals hearing currently underway at the top court.
Speaking at the hearing held on the 16th of this month, the ex-President, who is currently serving a 5-year jail sentence after being found guilty of money laundering and accepting bribes, said that because of an existing condition in his hip he found it difficult to sit in one place for a long period of time.
Yameen had said his hip condition is serious and that he found it painful to sit in a chair even for two hours.
He said that he cannot be seated at long hearings in the current appeal trial where his defense team is working to overturn the jail sentence given against the former President.
At the start of today's hearing, the Chief judge presiding over the trial, Judge Mahaaz Ali Zahir said that upon considering the medical documents submitted by the ex-President, the court had decided against holding court sessions scheduled for the afternoon.
But the judge also said that if the hearings prolong and cannot be fit into the court schedule, then the court would table hearing in the afternoon as well.
In the 5th hearing of the appeal case by the former President, his defense team presented points for the president's appeal against the sentence given to him by the lower court.
The Ex-President is seeking to overturn the Criminal Court's decision issued against him on 29th November 2021 where he was found guilty of money laundering and subsequently given a jail sentence of 5 years and a fine of USD 5 million.
