Mahfooz: Adeeb signed a cooperation agreement, not a plea bargain

Former Maldivian Vice President Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor’s attorney says Adeeb did not sign a plea bargain, but an agreement to cooperate with the State in its investigation into the MMPRC embezzlement and money laundering case.

Based on the arguments presented by the State prosecution and Adeeb’s attorneys at his Adeeb’s remand hearing on Monday, it was reported that the VP signed a plea bargain with the Prosecutor General’s Office as allowed under Article 104 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

ARTICLE 104 OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE

• In accordance with this article, the Prosecutor General and a defendant may engage in negotiations, and may form an agreement based on the matters discussed, given the defendant confesses to his/her charge.

Such an arrangement will allow a defendant to plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for a more lenient sentence or the charges against him/her may be dropped altogether.

Adeeb’s attorney, Mahfooz Saeed clarified to Sun this Tuesday that Adeeb has not signed such a plea bargain, but an agreement to provide his full cooperation to investigators to pave the way for a plea bargain.

“The agreement with Adeeb is an agreement of cooperation. It is not the plea bargain stated in the Criminal Procedure Code,” said Mahfooz.

At Monday’s remand hearing, Adeeb said he was providing information to the police regarding his role, and that of others involved in the MMPRC case.

His statement was taken as a confession by the police.

It was also revealed during the remand hearing that it was the police who initiated communications and sought assistance from Adeeb for its investigation into the case.

Adeeb is revealed to have provided information to the investigators regarding the case in 16 four-hour sessions.