Police ordered to provide Adeeb better services in custody

The Criminal Court has ordered the police to afford detained Vice President Ahmed Adeeb services provided to other politicians in state custody.

His lawyers had previously said the vice president was being held at a small bare cell at the detention center with only a mattress to sleep on.

Other high-profile politicians are kept in bigger cells with attached bathrooms, Shameem had said.

Criminal court has ordered @PoliceMv to immediately transfer VP to a facility that is provided to any other political detainee.

— Hussain Shameem (@HuShameem) October 27, 2015

Adeeb is under arrest on suspicion of links to an explosion on President Abdulla Yameen’s speedboat. The government says a bomb targeting the president caused the blast.

The hearing was held today at 3:30pm via teleconference.

The police were not responding to calls at the time of going to press.

Lawyers have also complained over the court conducting hearings via teleconference instead of transporting Adeeb to Malé.

Shameem said the police had put up a board saying “Criminal Court” at an interrogation center for the hearings.

“The vice president’s hearing was conducted to according to court regulations which allows the courts to make necessary arrangements to carry out hearings,” a spokesman said.

“We have not built a court room in Dhoonidhoo but when a hearing is going on via audio and video link, that place will be considered part of the court for the duration of the proceedings,” he added.

According to a regulation governing procedures for trials, remand hearings can be held via teleconference for security reasons.

Adeeb was arrested on Saturday as he stepped off a flight from Singapore. Yameen has accused his deputy of obstructing the inquiry into the boat blast by exerting undue influence over the police force.

Three soldiers arrested over the blast also have links to the vice president, he said.

The ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) have gathered 52 signatures on a motion to impeach Adeeb. A two-thirds majority or 57 votes of the 85 member house are required for the motion to pass.

Adeeb has denied any involvement in the blast.