Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has, for the first time, defended his decision to provide clemency former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb and former MMPRC Managing Director Abdullah Ziyath, saying the move was taken within legal limits and based on available assessments at the time.
The sentences of Adeeb and Ziyath; key figures in the MMPRC corruption case were commuted and the pair released four days after the Solih administration came to an end, a decision that has since drawn sustained public criticism.
Speaking at a press conference involving former Presidents Mohamed Nasheed, Abdulla Yameen, and Solih, he said presidential clemency decisions are made after reviewing whether an individual qualifies for relief under the law.
“The commutation given to Adeeb was also within the legal framework,” he said, adding that medical reports and other assessments were considered before the decision was made.
He said only the custodial sentence had been affected, while civil recovery proceedings could still continue.
“The cases can be investigated and tried. I wonder why the cases are not going on now. They should continue,” he said.
Solih acknowledged public dissatisfaction over the decision but maintained that it was a lawful exercise of presidential discretion.
“If I have done something wrong in that, I should apologize. But I don’t think it’s something I have to apologize for. If you think it’s wrong, I accept it,” he said.
Through the MMPRC corruption case, prosecutors initially filed seven charges against former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, although authorities later said more than 150 charges could have been pursued.
He was ultimately sentenced to 20 years in prison under a mitigated plea bargain agreement.
As part of the deal, Adeeb was also required to pay a fine of MVR 2 million in connection with the fraud. However, lawyers have raised concerns that under the Money Laundering Act, he could have faced fines of up to five times the laundered amount, potentially reaching MVR 5 billion.
Adeeb was sentenced to 20 years in prison in October 2020 in relation to the MMPRC corruption scandal, one of the largest graft cases in Maldivian history.
He had previously been jailed in 2015 during the administration of former President Abdulla Yameen in connection with the presidential speedboat explosion case. He was later charged again during the same administration over the MMPRC case.
