Solih says no apology needed over Adeeb pardon

Former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Friday defended his decision to pardon former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, stating that the move was carried out within the legal framework and did not require an apology.

Adeeb had been sentenced to 20 years in prison under a plea agreement reached with the state in connection with the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) corruption case.

Under the agreement, Adeeb was serving his sentence under house arrest before receiving presidential clemency from Solih five days before the end of his term in office.

Following the pardon, Adeeb left the Maldives. The decision drew criticism from members of the public and political figures.

Solih addressed the issue during a joint press conference held alongside former presidents Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and Mohamed Nasheed after the three leaders announced plans to work together politically.

Responding to questions from journalists, Solih said he had only granted leniency in relation to the criminal sentence.

He explained that requests for clemency and sentence reductions are regularly reviewed during presidential administrations and that legal procedures were followed in Adeeb’s case.

According to Solih, the process involved determining whether Adeeb had served a sufficient portion of his sentence to qualify for leniency and obtaining recommendations from the Maldives Correctional Service.

“Based on all those factors, the documents submitted to me stated that Ahmed Adeeb had served enough of his sentence to be eligible for leniency. Medical reports were also provided,” Solih said.

He further stated that the clemency applied only to the criminal sentence and not to efforts aimed at recovering state funds connected to the MMPRC case.

“The other side is the civil aspect — the matter of recovering the funds. Those cases should be at the investigation and trial stage,” he said.

Solih questioned why recovery efforts had not progressed further and said that work to recover the missing funds should continue.

The former president also stated that leniency is regularly granted in criminal cases and maintained that the decision concerning Adeeb fell within powers granted by law.

Addressing criticism over the release, Solih acknowledged public dissatisfaction but said he did not believe an apology was necessary.

“If I had done something wrong in that process, then I should apologise. In my view, this is not something that requires an apology,” he said.

“However, if you perceive it as a mistake, I accept that perspective.”