Supreme Court overturns Adeeb’s guilty verdict on weapons possession

Supreme Court on Monday overturned the guilty verdict over former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb’s weapons possession charge.

Adeeb was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the possession of a pistol by the Criminal Court, which was backed by the High Court.

At the Supreme Court's verdict hearing on Monday, the judges bench stated that the guilty verdict over Adeeb’s weapons possession charge was not based on any evidence and that the state has also admitted its failure to provide any evidence to prove Adeeb possessed a pistol.

The judges at Monday’s verdict hearing were Chief Justice Dr Ahmed Abdulla Didi, Justice Adam Mohamed Abdulla, and Justice Abdul Ghanee Mohamed.

In the last Supreme Court appeal hearing, the state admitted that the guilty verdict was not based on evidence and requested that the apex court overturn it.

The Supreme Court’s verdict also states that the state charged Adeeb on November 1, 2015, according to the old anti-terrorism act but that the charge become ineffective once the new anti-terrorism act was implemented that same year. The court added that Adeeb did not violate the law according to the new anti-terrorism act.

The Chief Justice also highlighted inconsistencies in the Crime Scene Officer Report and concluded that, due to these reasons, the bench of three judges of the Supreme Court have overturned the guilty verdict.

Adeeb was arrested on October 24, 2015 and was serving prison sentences totaling 33 years over various cases. The High Court earlier overturned the 15-year prison sentence over his involvement in the presidential speedboat explosion.

Adeeb now has to serve the eight-year sentence for embezzling five million US dollars from Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC).

He is currently under house arrest due to his ill health and faces numerous other charges.