Yameen’s aide charged with embezzlement

Yameen’s aide

charged with embezzlement Colombo, February 17

Prosecutors in the Maldives on Sunday charged a top aide of former strongman leader Abdulla Yameen with embezzling millions of dollars from the tropical tourist paradise.

The charges against high-profile former justice minister Azima Shakoor come days after Yameen was hit with his own indictment on graft charges after his shock election loss last year. The police had earlier announced they had evidence linking Yameen and Shakoor to the theft of millions from the country. She is accused of aiding Yameen’s efforts to steal millions of dollars from government coffers.

Shakoor was charged with two counts of being an accessory to embezzlement and providing false statements to investigators, court officials said, adding that a date for his trial had not been set. There was no immediate comment from Yameen or Shakoor. — AFP