Vice president detained for 15 days

The criminal court has extended the remand detention of Vice President Ahmed Adeeb to 15 days today.

Adeeb was arrested upon arrival at the airport yesterday on charges of “high treason” over the blast on the president’s speedboat on September 28. The government says the explosion was caused by a bomb targeting President Abdulla Yameen.

An official at the criminal court confirmed the extension. The remand hearing was conducted via a video link from the court to the Dhoonidhoo Island detention centre.

Adeeb’s lawyers are planning to challenge the legality of his arrest at the High Court.

The police tightened security in the capital yesterday in the wake of Adeeb’s arrest. Some 17 people were arrested for “disrupting public order,” the police said.

The police also raided eight buildings in Malé yesterday, including an office used by the vice president, the home of his second wife, and the homes of his close associates.

Adeeb’s lawyer Hussain Shameem told the press last night that the police submitted a secret intelligence report to obtain the arrest warrant.

“Other than the intelligence report, there is no other evidence, from what we can tell,” he said. 

The inquiry must not turn into a witch hunt, the former deputy prosecutor general said, adding that Adeeb would cooperate fully with the police.

“He says he has not committed any crimes at any time. He believes if this incident is properly investigated, his innocence will be proven. His houses have been raided, his close associates have been arrested. He wants to assure the public he has nothing to hide. He says he will cooperate fully with the police.”

Adeeb left the Maldives on Yameen’s request on October 13 to attend a conference on trade hosted by the Chinese Communist Party and to inaugurate an investment forum organised by the government.

“The vice president believes if he was a suspect, if he was so dangerous, he would have been arrested earlier and he would not have been sent abroad to represent the Maldives,” Shameem said.

Adeeb had returned despite receiving clear threats to his life, the lawyer added.