The Civil Court on Tuesday ordered Ahmed Adeeb, the former Vice President, to settle MVR 1 million to the government within one month.
Adeeb received a 20-year jail sentence for the conviction of graft in the MMPRC scandal. Besides the jail term, Adeeb was ordered to pay a fine of MVR 2 million to the government. The judgment ordered Adeeb pay MVR 1 million from this fine within one month from the date of October 5, 2020 as well.
Since this amount has not been paid to the state till date, Adeeb was ordered on Tuesday to settle MVR 1 million with the government within one month from the date of the judgment.
Adeeb’s counsel argued settling the amount in lump sum will be difficult, and requested a seven-day period to submit a request of a payment plan to the Attorney General’s Office. However, the state denied this and made a request to issue judgment without a hearing.
While the court gave Adeeb one month’s time to settle the fine, he has the privilege of appealing the judgment with the High Court within one month from the date of the lower court judgment.
The MMPRC corruption scandal is one of the most infamous and biggest acts of corruption carried out in the Maldives, and so much so, that it had come to international attention with Al Jazeera broadcasting a comprehensive documentary on the case.
At the time when former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih assumed presidency in 2018, both Adeeb and former head of MMPRC, Abdulla Ziyath were in jail. However, during Solih’s administration the two were shifted to house arrest after which both received presidential pardon.