Minister of Home Affairs Imran Abdulla has revealed that former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb will travel to India on Friday, June 14, and will return back to Maldives on June 26.
Home Minister Imran Abdulla, Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed, Commissioner of Prisons Abdulla Munaz and Director General of Maldives Immigration were summoned to the Parliament committee on National Security and Foreign Policy on Wednesday over Maldives Correctional Service's decision to grant permission for Adeeb to travel abroad to seek medical care. Other Senior officials from the institutions also attended the meeting.
Answering the committee, Minister Imran said Adeeb was granted a period of one year to stay abroad for medical purposes in india. However, arrangements for air tickets have been made for his return on June 26 if there is no further need to stay in the country for medical purposes. All security measures have been taken to ensure Adeeb's return to the Maldives after concluding his treatment, the minister assured.
Director General of Immigration said Adeeb's passport has not been released, instead, a travel document has been issued for a period of one year. Adeeb can only travel to India with the document, he said. Although the validity of the document is for one year, the document will be cancelled upon Adeeb's return, he said.
Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed said three officers from Maldives Police Service (MPS) and three officers from Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) will be accompanying Adeeb on his trip. An advance team of police officers will depart to India on Thursday, he added. Both MPS and MCS have assured that Adeeb cannot flee the country during the trip abroad.
"We assure that although we are allowing Ahmed Adeeb to seek medical treatment abroad to allow him his rights, we have made all arrangements to ensure that it will not stand in the way delivering justice and holding Adeeb accountable", the home ministry also stated earlier.
Maldives Correctional Service granted permission for former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb to leave the country on Tuesday as per medical board recommendations.
Adeeb has been requesting to be granted permission to fly abroad for a while. He has been receiving treatment for eye and kidney diseases at local hospitals, however, as the treatment available in Maldives is not adequate, he filed a complaint at court that he is unable to receive proper treatment for his condition from Maldives.
Due to his health issues Supreme Court had earlier ordered his transfer from jail to home arrest when he was serving out his sentences for 33 years in jail for multiple convictions. A verdict sentencing Adeeb to ten years in jail over a weapons charge was recently overturned by the Supreme Court, while the High Court dismissed Criminal Court's verdict implicating Adeeb in the explosion that took place aboard the presidential launch in 2015, and a graft allegation involving Maabinhuraa island. The Criminal Court has been ordered to conduct a retrial of both cases.
However, the Criminal Court returned 15 cases pertaining to Adeeb back to the Prosecutor General's Office, including the case of the Finifenmaa speedboat explosion. Therefore, no cases involving Adeeb are currently ongoing at court.
Adeeb is currently serving a sentence of 15 days over a conviction of contempt of the court. Although the sentence will be fully served by Tuesday, counting days towards his sentence will be halted until his return from the medical trip.
