High Court upholds Adheeb's weapons possession sentence

The High Court has dismissed former Vice President Ahmed Adheeb’s appeal of the weapons possession sentence passed against him.

The court made the decision on Monday, where it maintained that the trial court decision to sentence Adheeb for possession of two pistols during the unrest following an opposition protest in capital city Malé in 2015.

Witnesses had previously testified to having seen the politician take out the firearms from a bag along with three bullets after having said the protesters would ‘not be able to get a hold’ of him.

While investigative officers had failed to find said pistols, Adheeb’s defence held that the sentence was passed based solely on hearsay. Further, Adheeb’s lawyers had filed claims with the High Court and Supreme Court stating that the charges require strict liability.

However, the High Court maintained that the defence’s statement during trial did not indicate that strict liability be raised in the case – though firearms are illicit under local law.

Further, the defence had also argued that the charges eroded Adheeb’s constitutional right to be tried within reasonable time.

He was given a 10-year sentence seperate from a sentence he had already received on terror charges.