Maldives court orders arrest of former leader

Male: A Maldives court on Monday ordered the arrest and detention of former strongman president Abdulla Yameen on money laundering charges.
The court agreed to a prosecution request to detain Yameen who was charged last week with laundering nearly USD 1.5 million before he lost his re-election bid in September.
Yameen appeared in criminal court in Male on Monday afternoon. Prosecutors say police investigations found $1 million linked to a shady tourist resort development deal in his bank account.
Yameen lost his bid for re-election last year against President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who campaigned on a promise to investigate allegations of corruption by his predecessor’s government. (Agencies)