Adeeb charged over escape attempt

The 37-year-old fled in late July as a stowaway on a tugboat in defiance of a travel ban imposed by the Supreme Court. The Indian authorities held him for questioning when he arrived at the Tuticorin port – where he was denied entry despite seeking asylum  – and handed him over to the Maldives police at the maritime border.

The Supreme Court has since detained Adeeb until the conclusion of appeal hearings. The PG office sought the detention order after challenging a High Court decision that set aside Adeeb’s conviction over the theft of US$5 million paid as a resort acquisition fee.

After serving three years in prison over the embezzlement scheme and an alleged plot to assassinate former president Abdulla Yameen, Adeeb was transferred to house arrest in the wake of his former mentor’s defeat in September’s presidential election.