A case has been filed against Abdulla Luthufee at the Criminal Court for fleeing authorities while in Sri Lanka for medical treatment.
Assisted by armed foreign mercenaries, Luthufee led the attacks on Maldives on 3rd November 1988 that killed 19 Maldivians. Charged and convicted for treason, Luthufee received the death penalty for his crimes. However, then President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom lightened his sentence to life imprisonment.
Luthufee was allowed to travel to neighboring Sri Lanka on 16th January 2010 for medical purposes during former president Mohamed Nasheed's administration. However, he went into hiding during the trip and had been residing in Sri Lanka for the past nine years as a fugitive.
However Luthufee voluntarily presented himself to the Maldivian Embassy in Sri Lanka on 1st May 2019, following the terrorist attacks on Sri Lanka which prompted nation-wide searches across the country. Authorities did not disclose his presence at the embassy until after rumors that the embassy was harboring Luthufee made its rounds on social media, prompting public criticism on the matter.
After pressure mounted on the government, Luthufee was extradited back to Maldives and jailed. His case was forwarded to the Prosecutor General's Office for charging.
The Prosecutor General’s Office on Monday said a case had been filed against Luthufee as per the article 537 of the penal code for fleeing from authorities. They further said that Luthufee is being charged for fleeing when he was sent to Sri Lanka on 16 January 2010 for medical treatment on a one-year temporary travel document. He fled and lived in Sri Lanka until 1 May 2019 without informing any government authorities.
Luthufee has served 21 years of his sentence.
