Maldives President Abdulla Yameen described his deputy, Ahmed Adeeb, as a threat to national security. (Reuters)
Maldives President Abdulla Yameen today described his deputy as a threat to national security after his arrest over an alleged attempt to assassinate Yameen in a speedboat bombing last month.
"The vice president is being detained for the safety and security of the entire nation," Yameen said in a nationally televised address, after Ahmed Adeeb's arrest on Saturday.
The president was unhurt in the September 28 blast on his boat, which authorities described as an assassination attempt. The explosion left his wife and two others slightly injured.
Yameen claimed bomb-making equipment had been discovered during raids on the homes of Adeeb's associates in the capital on Saturday.
"During raids on close associates of Adeeb, police found bomb-making material," the president said. "There are many allegations concerning the vice president," he added.
A court on today ordered Adeeb detained for 15 days to give police more time for investigations.
Earlier, the government had said Adeeb would be charged with "high treason."
The Maldives is a popular upmarket tourist destination, but its image has suffered in recent years due to prolonged political unrest.