THOOTHUKUDI: Former vice president of Maldives Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Ghafoor has been detained at the Thoothukudi Old Harbour after it was found that he travelled here illegally on a barge. It is alleged that he has arrived in India seeking asylum, claiming that there is a threat to his life in the island nation.
The 37-year-old was the youngest politician in the world to become the vice president of a nation. Sources said the police officers and officials of central intelligence interrogated Adeeb, who is staying put in the barge anchored few metres away from the shore.
Named ‘Virgo 9’ and sporting a Singapore flag, the barge had set sail to Maldives with a cargo of jelly stones on July 11, sources added. It is reported to have a 9-member crew -- 8 Indonesians and an Indian. Adeeb is reported to have boarded the barge midway on July 28, on the pretext of travelling to India for medical treatment.
The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed the development. “There are designated entry points into India. In this case, since he was not entering through a designated point and did not possess valid documents, he has not been permitted,” an MEA statement said.
The former vice president of Maldives, holding office July-November 2015, Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Ghafoor is facing multiple cases, including embezzlement and treason, in his home country. Preliminary investigations have revealed that Adeeb has his passport but no valid visa to enter India.
He has alleged that he is facing death threats in Maldives from his political enemies. "We have alerted the Centre and are awaiting directions," an official said, adding that the politician has not been arrested. Police personnel attached to the Coastal Security Group, Immigration, Q-Branch and CISF have been deployed around the old harbour area.
Adeeb has been punished with 23-year jail term in several cases, including corruption and terrorism. In a recent development, the court ordered for retrials during appeals. Adeeb made a medical visit to India earlier this year, on June 14. He visited the Ruby Hall Clinic in Pune was glaucoma treatment, and returned on July 6. He was accompanied by officers of the Maldives Correctional Service and Maldives Police Service.
Jail terms
Adeeb was awarded 8-year jail term in a corruption case, a 10-year term for possession of pistol, and 15-year imprisonment in a bomb blast case. The blast was allegedly a plot to assassinate then President Abdulla Yameen. The jail term in pistol possession case has been nullified.