Ex-VP's case: High Court agrees to hear state's appeal against dismissal of charges

The High Court has agreed to hear the state’s appeal against the dismissal of charges against former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb.

Adeeb was acquitted after the Criminal Court ruled to reject the seven charges raised against him, last Tuesday.

At a press conference held the same day, Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem announced the decision to appeal the lower court’s decision. It was appealed the next day.

The Criminal Court dropped the charges against Adeeb on the grounds that a plea deal signed between him and the state was entered unlawfully given that Adeeb was forced to sign it under the condition of being provided medical leave abroad.

However, the PG had denied this and stressed that the former VP had not made such a claim at any point in the trial.

Shameem noted that the former VP has signed two out of the three agreements after returning from treatment abroad. Adeeb was allowed to travel to India in June 2019. While the first deal was signed in June that year, the others were signed in September.

Hence, the prosecutor general said that while Adeeb might have signed the first plea deal under condition of being granted medical leave abroad, that there is not room to declare the same in relation to the other two deals given that he had already returned after treatment.

The deal with Adeeb was signed by former Prosecutor General Aishath Bisham, who resigned in November 2019 amid an impeachment inquiry at parliament.

While PG Shameem heavily criticized the presiding judge in the case over the decision to drop the charges against Adeeb, he has filed a misconduct case against Judge Ismail Rasheed at the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

As JSC looks into the allegations against the judge, he has been suspended for a 60-day period.