Ahmed Adeeb: Maldives Vice-President Arrested over Alleged Assassination Plot

Maldives Vice-President Ahmed Adeeb has been arrested in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate the president, the home minister says.

Ahmed Adeeb was in detention and being charged with high treason, Umar Naseer said on Twitter.

Maldives President Abdulla Yameen narrowly escaped injury when a blast struck the boat he was using to return home from the airport late last month.

In recent years, the Maldives has been rocked by political infighting.

Abdulla Yameen’s election has been the subject of drawn-out wrangling.

Security has been tightened in the capital Male amid fears of “turmoil” triggered by the arrest, says the Maldivian newspaper Haveeru.

“By early morning Saturday, trucks loaded with policemen and soldiers were seen on nearly every street,” it reports.

Four others were also arrested on October 24, the Maldives Independent website quoted police sub inspector Abdulla Nawaz as saying, but he gave no further details.

The website said Ahmed Adeeb’s arrest had “surprised and enthralled many Maldivians”.

President Abdulla Yameen and his wife were travelling to Male from the island where the airport is located on September 28 when their speedboat was hit by the bomb blast.

They had been to the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

The president was unhurt, but his wife and a number of others were injured when the device went off under a seat normally – but not in this instance – occupied by Abdulla Yameen.

Officials described the attack as an assassination attempt and had arrested two senior police officers – a week after the president fired his defense minister.

On October 24, Ahmed Adeeb too was arrested at the airport as he returned from an official overseas visit, police confirmed.

Home Minister Umar Naseer said the vice-president was being held on a prison island.

Ahmed Adeeb, who has denied any links to the explosion, had only been vice-president for three months.

Ahmed Adeeb came to office when the previous vice-president was sacked by Abdulla Yameen, also on charges of treason.