Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and former Vice President Ahmed Adheeb were shifted from Maafushi Prison to the detention centre in Dhoonidhoo island Thursday.
After his arrest earlier this month under accusations of bribery and attempting to stage a coup, Maumoon was kept in Dhoonidhoo Detention Centre until last Thursday. He was shifted to Maafushi Prison that night.
A family member confirmed that Maumoon has been shifted back to Dhoonidhoo but said that they were not aware of the reason.
Meanwhile Adheeb, who is already serving a 33-year sentence, was in Dhoonidhoo Detention Centre when the Supreme Court issued its shocking ruling on February 1, ordering his immediate release along with eight other prominent political prisoners. Adheeb was shifted to Maafushi Prison in the wake of the ruling, after the government declared a state of emergency and arrested Maumoon along with two top court judges.
After the arrests, the remaining judges of the Supreme Court revoked the order to free the political prisoners.
The reason for transferring Adheeb back to Dhoonidhoo is also unclear. His lawyer said neither his legal team nor family were informed of the development.
Maumoon is accused of bribing parliamentarians, attempting to stage a coup, bribing judges to manipulate judicial verdicts, and disrupting security forces to incite an uprising against the government. However, he has denied all allegations against him.
Adheeb is serving a long prison sentence after being found guilty of orchestrating an assassination attempt on the president and over his involvement in the largest corruption case in the history of the Maldives.
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