Former Vice President and Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor – who stands accused of being behind the explosion onboard presidential speedboat “Finifenma” – said on Wednesday that the defense was unable to summon their witnesses to court within the one-hour period given by court because they had their phones switched off.
Judge Abdul Baree Yoosuf gave a one-hour-period between 2 pm to 3 pm for the defense to summon their witnesses to court.
Adeeb said at 3:30 pm, after the time window passed, that the witnesses had their phones switched off. And requested for another opportunity to summon the witnesses.
Judge Baaree said that the defense had not submitted the necessary forms as was required by Criminal Court when submitting names of witnesses. And that enough opportunity had been provided to summon the defense witnesses to court.
Testimony of three state witnesses were heard during the hearing, two of them – who have also been named by Adeeb to testify on his behalf.
Testimony was first taken from former Special Protection Group (SPG) officer Ahmed Khaleel, who said that Adeeb’s bodyguard – Hassan Rikaz called SPG duty phone on September 26 and made arrangements for Adeeb to travel to Aarah at 4 pm, September 27.
Khaleel said that he called his supervisor Major Abdul Salam, who told him to call someone senior at Aarah.
He said that he then called Ismail Muaz – who is in charge of Aarah – who said that Adeeb had never requested to travel to Aarah by presidential speedboat and to therefore check with him one more time.
“So I called Rikaz. Rikaz said that Adeeb requested presidential speedboat – Finifenma,” said Khaleel.
He said that then-Vice President Adheeb did not attend to receive President Abdulla Yameen on his arrival from the visit to Saudi Arabia on 28 September 2015. While Amir said so, Khaleel said that Adheeb attended a ceremony on the night of 8 September. Responding to a question from Adheeb’s lawyer, Moosa Siraaj, Khaleel said that Adheeb did not call MNDF to arrange a launch. Khaleel said that Adheeb went for a swim with his two bodyguards after waiting in the designated area for the Vice President in Aarah. After Khaleel, the In-charge of Aarah, Ismail Muaz gave his testimony. In his testimony, Muaz said that Khaleel from SPG called him of September 26 and requested to arrange a launch for the Vice President to visit Aarah. Upon Khaleel’s request, Muaz said that he informed Khaleel that the only available launch as the Presidential Launch and a smaller launch would be arrange for the Vice President. Muaz said that Khaleel called back again a moment later and asked to arrange the Presidential Launch. After the Judge Baree said that some of the questions from lawyer Siraaj cannot be asked, Siraaj said that he does not have any further questions. The next testimony was from an MNDF officer working in Aarah and said that Adheeb and his two bodyguards arrived in Aarah on the night of 27 September on the Presidential Launch. The last testimony today was a crew member onboard the Presidential Launch, Mohamed Suzail and he said that he was present as a crew member on the launch when Adheeb arrived in Aarah onboard the Presidential Launch. He said that he Launch crew remained onboard the Presidential Launch until Adheeb left Aarah and did not board the Presidential Launch before his departure. When the State asked if he knows what Adheeb and his bodyguards did in the Saloon area of the launch on the way to Aarah, he said that he does not know since he cannot see inside.