Jailed ex-VP Adeeb brought to Male’ for medical care

Former Maldivian Vice President Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor has been transported from jail to Male’ City for medical care.

Maldives Correctional Service confirmed Adeeb was taken to Indhira Gadhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Male’ for medical care last Thursday, but declined to disclose any details.

Adeeb’s spouse, Mariyam Nashwa reports the ex-VP was taken into the hospital at approximately 9:30 pm on Thursday.

She says Adeeb is being treated at the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, but that she wasn’t yet privy to any details regarding his condition.

The reason why Adeeb was brought to the hospital is unclear at this point.

Pictures of Adeeb at the hospital circulating on the social media show him with a bump on his forehead.

Adeeb was ordered to jail pending the outcome of an appeal over his acquittal in an embezzlement case by the Supreme Court on Thursday, August 8.

The appeal was filed following the High Court’s decision to overturn an eight-year prison sentence issued against Adeeb by Criminal Court in 2016 for embezzling a USD 5 million bank cheque issued by Kuredu Holdings to Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) as acquisition cost to develop a resort in Lh. Maabinhura.

The Criminal Court, though the High Court issued the acquittal with instructions for a retrial, pushed the case out of court citing lack of ground to hold a new trial.

Adeeb was recently intercepted by Indian authorities at the Tuticorin Port in violation of an earlier travel ban imposed the Supreme Court pending the outcome of Maabinhura appeal proceedings.

The court, in its decision to grant the State’s request for Adeeb’s detention, referred to the escape attempt, and established there was enough grounds to presume he may make another attempt to evade authorities.

The court has ordered that Adeeb be detained at a remand facility pending the outcome of the appeal proceedings, or until the court orders otherwise.