Maldives to brief diplomats on arrest of VP

The Maldives government is to brief the diplomatic community on the arrest of Maldives Vice President Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Ghafoor, a spokesperson at the Maldives High Commission in Sri Lanka said on Wednesday.

Maldives Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon will travel to Sri Lanka on Thursday to brief the diplomats based in Colombo and affiliated to the Maldives, the spokesperson said.

Maumoon is also scheduled to meet the Sri Lankan media for a briefing on the latest developments following the arrest of the vice president.

Maldivian government announced that the Maldives Police Service had arrested Adeeb recently under a court warrant in connection to the investigation into a bomb blast that occurred last month on the Presidential speedboat.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Abdulla Nawaaz said that Adeeb had been detained by the police following an extensive investigation by both local and international agencies.

Maumoon later said in a statement that with the evidence of an internationally led investigation appearing to link the vice president to the attack, the government and agencies had no choice but to act decisively.

She said that the matter is extremely unfortunate but the administration is determined to ensure that the investigation and any subsequent actions are conducted swiftly and with complete transparency.

The foreign minister also assured that the president remains unwavering in his commitment to lead a strong, unified government that will continue to meet the serious challenges facing the people of the Maldives. Endit