The state forwarded the case of Abdulla Luthfee, a fugitive from justice, to Prosecutor General's (PG) Office on Wednesday, seeking to press charges.
Luthfee, who was the conspirator behind the coup d'état of November 3, 1988, was extradited from Sri Lanka in July this year while hiding from authorities after he fled in 2010 while serving a life sentence in prison.
Speaking at the news conference held at Iskandharu Koshi on Wednesday evening, Home Minister Imran Abdulla confirmed that Luthfee's case was currently in the prosecution stage after the conclusion of investigations.
When posed with the question of why charges were already pressed against former President Ahmed Adeeb, who was also apprehended in August while trying to flee the country, while Luthfee has yet to be charged, Commissioner of Police (CP) Mohamed Hameed explained that Adeeb's investigation process concluded swiftly due to his own confession.
In 2010, upon being allowed to go abroad for medical treatment Luthfee absconded and was reportedly living in Sri Lanka ever since. After nine years of hiding from authorities, Luthfee turned himself in at the Maldivian Embassy in Sri Lanka on May 1, 2019.
Luthfee is currently under state custody at Maafushi Prison.
Following the November 3 coup, Luthfee was arrested and sentenced to death after trial.
However, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom reduced Luthfee's sentence to life imprisonment, which was 25 years in prison according to the then-constitution. Had he not fled in 2010, the coup-conspirator would have completed serving his initial sentence by 2014.
Sagar Ahmed Nasir, Luthfee's partner who helped orchestrate the coup and was directly involved in the activities, has been freed after completing his jail sentence of 25 years.
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