Male’, Maldives – Dr. Mohamed Jameel who is the lead lawyer on Yameen’S legal team has said that former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb is being used as a weapon to harm former President Yameen Abdul Gayyoom.
Jameel said this regarding Adeeb’s transfer to house arrest from Male’ jail, by the Criminal Court. Jameel questioned in a tweet whether there is no more danger from a person who is to be sentenced to 800 years or wether there is no more fear of him fleeing or influencing the witnesses.
“There’s not stronger evidence than this that Adeeb is being used for a tool to harm President Yameen. Is this how fairness is? This shows how much the government is stained”
Media Official of Maldives Correctional Service said giving information to local news outlet “adduLIVE”, that Adeeb was transferred to home arrest due to his current medical situation. Adeeb was previously in Male’ jail since Criminal Court recently ordered him to be held in remand pending the outcome of his trial.
The seven charges on Adeeb regarding the MMPRC grand corruption case are two charges of participation in embezzlement, two charges of gaining undue benefit, two charges of money laundering and misusing his official designation.
Adeeb accepted all these charges in the last hearing. Adeeb has asked for minimalisation of his sentence for his cooperation under the plea deal with the government. The last hearing ended with Adeeb’s confession to these accusations. The court announced that a final verdict will be passed this Monday.
The MMPRC case, which surfaced in 2015, is the largest corruption scandal to rock the Maldives in history. Following initial investigations, the Auditor General’s Office disclosed that MVR 1.2 billion in state funds, acquired via island and lagoon leases, had been embezzled via the corporation, which later increased to MVR 1.4 billion after the investigation by Anti Corruption Commission (ACC).
