High Court overturns ruling against Adeeb in Finifenma explosion, orders a retrial

High Court has overturned the 15-year prison sentence issued against former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor over the explosion onboard presidential speedboat, Finifenmaa, in 2015, and has ordered the Criminal Court for a retrial.

The 15-year prison sentence issued by Criminal Court against Adeeb over the 2015 explosion was his longest sentence.

High Court, in its ruling this Monday, referred to the infamous ruling issued by Supreme Court on February 1, 2018.

The court noted in its ruling that the Supreme Court ruling of February 1, 2018 proved trials which ended with terror convictions against politicians at the time were influenced and run unconstitutionally.

The court ruled that Adeeb’s terror case being one such case was enough grounds to warrant a retrial.

The court has decided that Adeeb will be kept at a remand jail for 15 days, after which the Prosecutor General’s Office will be allowed the opportunity to petition the Criminal Court for what it wants as regards to his future detention.

Only one of the High court judges who presided over the case differed. Judge Mohamed Niyaz recommended that Adeeb must remain at a remand jail pending the outcome of his retrial.

The decision to remand Adeeb to only 15 days in jail was passed with the majority vote of Chief Judge Sujau Usman and Judge Hussain Shaheed.

Two of Adeeb’s bodyguards; Ahmed Amir and Hassan Rikaz were both sentenced to 10 years in prison over the 2015 explosion. The High Court is scheduled to make a decision regarding their cases later this Monday.