Former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, on Sunday, filed a request at the High Court for a temporary transfer to house arrest, until the conclusion of his appeal to be sent abroad for medical treatment.
The Civil Court had denied Adeeb’s request to be sent abroad, stating that the procedures to be followed under the regulation to provide medical care to inmates, were not completed.
Speaking at the appeal hearing of Adeeb's case at the High Court on Sunday, his lawyer, Mohamed Ismail, stated that Adeeb's health was critical and that the doctor had previously advised to keep him in a "homely environment". Ismail submitted Adeeb's medical records to court and appealed to the judge’s bench to keep Adeeb under temporary house arrest.
Noting that the Civil Court had refused Adeeb's request to go abroad over incomplete procedures from his side, Ismail claimed that the procedures in question had to be completed by the state instead. Highlighting that the documents provided by the doctors are kept by Maldives Correctional Services (MCS), Ismail stated that any pending procedures on Adeeb's side could only be completed if MCS provided the documents.
Adeeb’s lawyer insisted to annul the Civil Court’s sentence and to review the case in order for state approval to send Adeeb abroad for medical treatment.
During the hearing, Adeeb stated that he was prone to headaches and loss of consciousness due to the strong medications prescribed to him. He revealed that he had to be taken to the hospital after losing consciousness last Friday as well.
The state lawyer refuted the arguments presented by Adeeb, stating that former VP had refused to cooperate with the procedures required of him. According to the lawyer, MCS had attempted to take the ex-VP for a CT scan, but he had refused.
According to the state, the High Court cannot issue an order to send Adeeb out of the country to receive medical treatment at the moment even though they have annulled the Civil Courts’ sentence. The Civil Court did not carry out the case further because of misinformation that led them to follow wrong procedures.
The state expressed that it needed another chance to answer for Adeeb’s request for a temporary house arrest.
Thee judge’s bench approved the state's request, and stated that another hearing will be held soon.
The judge’s bench includes presiding Judge Shujau Usmaan, Judge Hassan Ali and Judge Hussein Shaheed.
Adeeb is serving a 33-year jail sentence over orchestrating an assassination attempt on former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and for his involvement in Maldives Marketing And Public Relations Corporation's MVR 1.4 billion embezzlement case, during his tenure as Minister of Tourism.
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