Maldives president appoints new investment board chair after VP's arrest

Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen on Monday appointed Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed to head the board responsible for overseeing foreign investments, the Maldives government said.

Government Spokesperson, Ibrahim Muaz Ali said in a twitter message that Saeed would now serve as the Chairman of the Board of Investments, created under the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Act and Housing Minister Mohamed Muizz had also been appointed to the board.

The appointments come just two days after Vice President and the former Chair of the Board, Ahmed Adheeb was arrested by the police in his alleged involvement into an attempt to assassinate the president last month.

President Yameen escaped unhurt when the presidential speed boat in which he was travelling had faced an explosion which seriously injured his wife and two other security officials.

The President and the First Lady had just arrived from Saudi Arabia after completing the Hajj pilgrimage and were on their way to capital Male to be welcomed by government officials, when the explosion took place.

International investigators who were called in to probe the blast later said that it was an assassination attempt on the President.

Following the explosion, several high ranking officials including Defence Minister Moosa Ali Jaleel and the police chiefs were sacked from their positions. Adheeb was detained on Saturday in connection with the explosion and was arrested upon his arrival at the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport from overseas. He is being held for charges of high treason.

In a special address to the nation on Sunday, President Yameen said that Adheeb had been dismissed as the chair of the board tasked with overseeing investments and as the co-chair of the ministerial Economic and Youth Council and the council and board will now be chaired under the direct supervision of the president. Endit