Malé, Maldives – It has been scheduled to pass a verdict on the seven charges pressed against former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb tomorrow, scheduled to start at 10:30 in the morning.
Seven charges were pressed against Adeeb for his part in the Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) embezzlement case. They are two charges of being an accomplice to embezzlement, two charges of money laundering, two charges of misuse of official capacity to obtain an undue advantage and one charge of abuse of power.
During the last hearing, which was held on the 30th of September, Adeeb confessed to all the seven charges pressed against him. The judge also announced that a verdict will be passed on Monday. Adeeb has also requested for leniency in his verdict under the plea deal he has agreed to with the state.
Under the order of the Criminal Court Adeeb was held in Malé Jail but had to be transferred to house arrest regarding the health issues he has been facing. Adeeb highlighted on how his health has deteriorated from having to stay in jail for more than four years regarding various charges related to the MMPRC embezzlement.
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).
