Thursday roundup: prosecution seeks to televise ex-vice president’s trial

The prosecution asked the criminal court on Thursday to arrange live broadcasts of former vice president Ahmed Adeeb’s trial on corruption charges.

Judge Ismail Rasheed said a decision would be made by the criminal court’s council of judges, according to media reports of Thursday’s pre-trial hearing. The judge previously decided not to televise the trial despite requests by both the prosecution and defence. Both sides asked the judge on Thursday to review his decision.

Fresh charges on seven counts related to the theft of US$90 million from the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation were filed against Adeeb in late September.

The authorities signed a cooperation agreement with Adeeb in July and a separate confession agreement was signed in September, it emerged during the hearing. Separately on Thursday, the Prosecutor General’s office withdrew an appeal filed  against a High Court decision that set aside Adeeb’s conviction over the theft of US$5 million paid as a resort acquisition fee.