Former Vice President Ahmed Adheeb arriving in court on Wednesday. PHOTO / MIHAARU
Maldives Correctional Service has refused to shift jailed former vice president Ahmed Adheeb from jail to house arrest.
Adheeb’s family had submitted a formal request to shift him, claiming that the former VP’s doctors had recommended him to be placed in a clean environment as Adheeb is currently suffering from glaucoma, an eye disease which damages the optic nerve and can lead to blindness.
However, MCS stated in a letter to his family on Monday that, under the Parole Act, Adheeb is not in a condition necessitating him to be shifted outside of prison. The letter was signed by MCS’ deputy superintendent of prisons, Ibrahim Nashid.
Adheeb’s wife Mariyam Nashwa told Mihaaru on Tuesday that Adheeb’s vision is weakening due to lack of sufficient treatment. She also voiced concerns over the delay in procuring Adheeb a new pair of spectacles as his visual acuity has changed.
‘He’s currently using his old glasses; he’s said that he can’t see clearly in them anymore,” said Nashwa after paying Adheeb a visit at Dhoonidhoo Detention Centre.
The former vice president is currently sentenced to 33 years in jail on multiple convictions, including his involvement in the largest corruption scandal in the history of the Maldives and for orchestrating an assassination attempt on president Abdulla Yameen in 2015.
However, his family claims that Adheeb is suffering from various medical conditions, including glaucoma and an internal cyst. While they had requested permission for Adheeb to travel abroad for medical treatment on multiple counts, the authorities have refused, saying that the risk of Adheeb absconding is too high to allow him to leave the country.
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