Supreme Court of the Maldives rules that former President Abdullah Yameen cannot compete in next month's Presidential Candidate.
The ruling came after Yameen filed a case at the top Court challenging the Election's Commission decision to reject his candidacy as he is still serving an 11-year sentence for money laundering and bribery.
The hearing for the case was held last Friday with the proceedings lasting more than 7 hours.
At the hearing, the Elections Commission pointed out that Yameen failed to pay the USD 5 million fine included in the Criminal Court verdict against the former President and that this would be considered an undischarged decreed debt.
As per the Constitution, an individual who applies for Presidential Candidacy must not have an undischarged decreed debt.
Supreme Court Judge Husnu Sood supported the Commission's argument in his own ruling today and said that Yameen was given 6 months to pay the USD 5 million. The Judge said that since Yameen failed to pay the amount in the 6 months, the fine became an undischarged decreed debt and that notices from Maldives Inland Revenu Authority showed that the ex-President failed to pay the fine within the given period.
He added that the rejection of Yameen's candidacy was hence legitimate.
Then the remaining 6 judges on the bench supported Judge Sood's ruling and ruled that the former President cannot compete in the elections.
