Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) has revealed former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb has been transferred to house arrest upon permission from the Criminal Court of the Maldives.
Adeeb had been detained in a remand prison under a court order, after the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) pressed seven charges against him in relation to the corruption scandal of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC). MCS revealed Adeeb was transferred to house arrest on October 3 in light of his health condition, after seeking permission from the court. However, no further details were disclosed.
The charges pressed against Adeeb includes two charges for participating in embezzlement of state funds, two charges for money laundering, two charges for influence peddling and one charge for illicit use of an official position. Adeeb has pleaded guilty to all charges, stating he carried out the MMPRC scandal under the instructions of former President Abdulla Yameen.
During the first hearing of the trial, Adeeb said he decided to cooperate with the state in order to facilitate the return of funds which were embezzled from the state. He noted the vital information regarding the MMPRC corruption scandal will not be available unless he discloses the details.
The confession agreement made between PGO and Adeeb states he will receive a 4-year sentence and 2-year sentence for the two embezzlement charges respectively. The charges for influence peddling will result in a 5-year sentence along with a fine of USD 65,000, while each money laundering charge will have a 5-year prison sentence. Meanwhile, the charge for illicit use of an official position will result in a 6-month prison sentence.