Solih declines to comment on pardon granted to Adeeb
Less than a week before leaving office, President Solih granted Adeeb a presidential pardon.
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Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has declined to answer questions about his decision to pardon former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, who was convicted in connection with the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) corruption case, shortly before the end of his presidential term in November 2023.
Adeeb had pleaded guilty to seven charges related to the embezzlement of more than MVR 3.2 billion through the leasing of islands and lagoons during the administration of former President Abdulla Yameen. In October 2023, the Criminal Court sentenced Adeeb to 20 years in prison.
However, on 13 November 2023, less than a week before leaving office, President Solih granted Adeeb a presidential pardon. The decision, made after Solih’s defeat in the presidential election, drew widespread public criticism.
During the opposition MDP’s ‘Looted, Looted’ protest in Malé last Friday night, Solih was approached by Daur journalists seeking comment on the pardon. When asked why he had pardoned Adeeb, Solih responded briefly, “Let’s talk about it later.” Pressed further, he added, “Now I am going home after the protest,” before leaving the area.
In addition to Adeeb, Solih also pardoned former MMPRC Managing Director Abdulla Ziyath, who had been serving a 32-year prison sentence in relation to the same corruption case. Officials from the President’s Office did not respond to questions regarding the rationale for either pardon.
Following the change of government that same week, Adeeb left the Maldives and is currently residing in Dubai.
Solih, who came to power in 2018, had pledged to investigate the MMPRC corruption scandal and recover state funds. His administration established a presidential commission to oversee the investigation, though by the end of his five-year term, the state had not recovered any of the missing funds.
At the time Solih’s presidency ended, former President Abdulla Yameen was the only individual serving a prison sentence related to the MMPRC case. Yameen’s 11-year conviction was later overturned by the High Court, and his appeal is now pending before the Supreme Court.
