Ex-VP Adeeb's glaucoma has progressed to physically obvious stages, says lawyer

Former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb’s glaucoma has progressed and he now has developed concentric circles around the irises of his eyes, his lawyer said.

Moosa Siraj, Adeeb’s lawyer, sent a letter to the Maldives Police Service (MPS) on Saturday claiming that he had noticed said circles – often described as halos or rainbow colours – which had not been as noticeable in their last meeting.

“In our last meeting, we noticed that our client had developed halos around his irises” the letter said.

In the letter addressed directly to Police Commissioner Ahmed Areef, Siraj requested the police to take Adeeb’s declining health into further consideration.

The letter further asked for frequent visitation rights, even on public holidays, so the lawyers may monitor his health more closely.

Attorney General Mohamed Anil said at a press conference last week that the state is refusing to grant medical leave to former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb due to threat of flight.

Anil then said that the former vice president owes the state over USD 10 million, and that there is strong reason to believe that he may flee.

Adeeb’s family had released a statement earlier this month claiming that Adeeb has developed an internal cyst, kidney stones, and vision impairment from glaucoma since his incarceration in 2015.

The appearance of rainbow-coloured circles around the iris is a symptom of open-angle glaucoma.

Adeeb, the youngest individual thus far to have served as vice president, was sentenced to a total of 33 years in prison for a reported assassination attempt against President Abdulla Yameen and for his role in the heavily publicized case of graft involving the state-operated Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation.