Adeeb’s terror trial delayed after witnesses fail to turn up again

Prosecutors once again failed to produce witnesses in a terror trial against former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, accused of carrying a pistol on May Day last year.

Judges were told that only one of the two anonymous witnesses had turned up to court today. Prosecutors said they were unable to contact the second witness.

Adeeb has previously denied the charge and said he was unaware of any evidence against him except for statements by two individuals who claimed he had carried a pistol on May 1, when tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets over the jailing of political prisoners.

Only the security forces are allowed to carry weapons in the Maldives.

The terrorism charge against Adeeb first surfaced hours before he was impeached in a controversial vote convened a day after a state of emergency was declared in November.

The former vice president is also standing trial on two counts of corruption and a second count of terrorism relating to an explosion on President Abdulla Yameen’s speedboat. The blast led to Adeeb’s arrest and a purge of the security forces.

State prosecutors asked the criminal court to hear the testimony of the witness present today.

But Judge Muhthaz Fahmy said the court will hear both witnesses at the same time, as prosecutors had previously claimed the pair had witnesses the crime at the same time.

The next hearing has been scheduled for May 31.

Adeeb’s lawyers opposed the move noting prosecutors had failed to produce witnesses at a hearing on March 6.

Judges Saeed Ibrahim and Ahmed Rasheed also sit on the three-member panel overseeing the case.

They were assigned the case after the judge presiding over the trial – former Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Judge Abdulla Mohamed – was transferred to the family court.

Adeeb is being held at a police remand facility until a verdict is reached in the corruption trial.

Judges are yet to hear evidence in the other charges against the 34-year-old.

Home Minister Umar Naseer claims Adeeb had also planned to set off a bomb on May Day.