MALE (Reuters) – A court on Monday sentenced the former vice president of the Maldives, Ahmed Adeeb, to 20 years in jail and fined him $129,892 after he pleaded guilty to corruption charges.
The Maldives Criminal Court charged Adeeb with embezzlement, money laundering and misuse of government authority among other offences, according to an order of Judge Hassan Saeed.
The charges related to leasing tropical islands for hotel development.
According to an asset recovery commission formed by the current government, the islands were sold below-market prices. As a result, the government lost nearly $259 million.
In his statement to the court, Adeeb, who pleaded guilty in September under a plea bargain, said he was ready to cooperate to recover the missing money.
(Reporting by Mohamed Junayd; editing by Mayank Bhardwaj and Mark Potter)
