Hearing in ex-VP Adeeb's case scheduled for Monday

A hearing in the appeal case of the Criminal Court having dropped all seven charges raised against Adeeb in connection to the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) embezzlement case, has been scheduled for Monday.

The High Court revealed that the hearing will commence at 2pm, Monday, virtually.

The court held a hearing in connection to the appeal case on September 15 during which the ex-VP stressed that the Criminal Court’s online hearing was a “bitter experience” with the bad internet connections in his cell and that he had willingly agreed to cooperate with authorities in the investigations.

During the hearing at the High Court Adeeb had withdrawn his confession of having been coerced into signing a deal with authorities. As such, he confessed that he was not subject to torture from former Prosecutor General Aishath Bisham or the investigative team, and had signed the plea deal freely.

In mid-July Criminal Court dropped the charges on the grounds that a plea deal signed between him and the state was “entered wrongfully”. This was done against the country’s constitution, said state prosecutors who have sought the Criminal Court to review them.

The court’s ruling claimed that Adeeb was “forced to sign the plea deals” in exchange for medical treatment.

However, Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem has stated that this is untrue, owing to the fact that one of the two deals were signed upon Adeeb’s return from treatment abroad.

The High Court ordered Adeeb to be remanded until the end of the appeal case against him, during July. Adeeb is currently detained at Maafushi Prison.

The High Court’s decision to remand him until the end of his trial was based around the fact that Adeeb had attempted to flee earlier as well.