Malé, Maldives – Hithadhoo north constituency parliamentarian and chairperson of Parliament Committee on National Security Services, Mohamed Aslam has said that the current parliament has no sincerity in investigating the Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) corruption scandal.
Following West Henveyru Constituency MP, Hassan Latheef‘s accusation of MP Aslam not wanting to look in to the MMPRC matter, MP Aslam told ‘The Times of Addu’ that if the current parliament had any sincerity to investigate the matter, it would have already been done by now.
He also added that some politicians are using the matter for their personal gains and that he would not let the Parliament Committee on National Security Services (241 committee) be used as a political tool by these politicians.
MP Aslam also added that the matter was being investigated by a sub-committee which was formed with members from the 241 committee and Judiciary Committee of the parliament and that MP Hassan Latheef was in the sub-committee.
[MP] Hassan Latheef is also in that sub-committee. If the investigation is getting delayed, then [MP] Hassan Latheef should also know the reason for the delays in my view
Hithadhoo north constituency parliamentarian and chairperson of Parliament Committee on National Security Services, Mohamed Aslam
MP Aslam also added that he had sent a letter to the Speaker of Parliament following MP Latheef’s letter to clarify the reasons of the delay, since the sub-committee was investiture the matter for nearly a year and that the chairperson of the sub-committee was Maafannu north constituency MP, Imthiyaz Fahumy (Inthi) who is a close affiliate of MP Hassan Latheef and Speaker of Parliament, Mohamed Nasheed. MP Aslam also told that MP Latheef cannot do as he wished in the matters related to the 241 committee and that he would not allow it to happen.
West Henveyru Constituency MP, Hassan Latheef has questioned why the Parliament’s Committee on National Safety (241 Committee) chair MP Mohamed Aslam has not been proactive in trying to find information on the MMPRC corruption scandal.
Hassan Latheef has requested the Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed to get information from the concerned authorities about the MMPRC case as many former and current Members of Parliament are being accused of it.
In today’s Parliament meeting, Speaker Nasheed stated that the information should be collected by the 241 Committee as it was related to the case that the committee was investigating.
After sharing the letter he had sent to the parliament earlier on twitter, MP Hassan Latheef stated that it was more clear to everyone on what he had requested to be clarified and went on to question if MP Aslam was capable to carry out the task.
I wonder why MP Aslam has no intention of finding out theses information even when 241 Committee members are wanting to know.
Hassan Latheef, 241 Committee member and Member of Parliament of West Henveyru Constituency
Speaking at todays parliament sitting, Speaker Nasheed had told that he had requested concerned authorities to investigate the case, yesterday. These include Prosecutor General (PG) Office, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Asset Recovery Commission and the Police for the information requested by MP Hassan Latheef as the parliamentary committee had been hesitant to gather the information.
Speaking at the parliament today, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Eva Abdulla also said that she did not trust that any parliamentary committee would be able to investigate the MMPRC case.
MP Hassans remarks on the matter come while a heated debate took place in parliament floor earlier today between Speaker of Parliament and some parliamentarians,
Speaker of Parliament, Mohamed Nasheed had said that it’s possible for some parliamentarians and cabinet ministers to lose their jobs after the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) grand corruption scandal is investigated.
Speaking at the parliament sitting today, Speaker of Parliament, Mohamed Nasheed told that he would not let go of the biggest corruption scandal which has ever happened in the country while he was in the position.
He also added that he was confident to get the support of all parliamentarians in the investigation in the the MMPRC case and that every Maldivian citizen would also give their support in the investigation.
Following a row between Maradhoo MP, Ibrahim Shareef, after he said that some MDP members accuse him of getting money from MMPRC scandal, Speaker Nasheed told that he would do anything to ensure that the investigation gets completed even if parliamentarians and ministers are implicated.
Speaker Nasheed also added that over 200 peoples names had been identified as those who had received the money from MMPRC scandal in one way or the other and that all of them would be tried at court. He also added that those who benefited from over USD 70 million stolen from the state included members of parliament, ministers and other senior officials in various institutions in Maldives.
He also told that a detailed report with the money trail details and other proof had been sent to the relevant government commission and that he has no double that the government would take the necessary actions against all of them.
Speaker Nasheed’s remarks on the subject in parliament comes while MDP had passed not to allow anyone who had been implicated in the grand scandals to run for their internal elections.
In the national steering committee meeting held on April 24, 2021 in Malé City, MP for Maafannu central constituency, Ibrahim Rasheed (Bondey) submitted a decree which stated that people competing for the parties national council must have certain requirements to meet.
MP Bondey specifically had stated that those who have been implicated in the MVR 3.4 billion MMPRC grand scanda, those who had their names sent to various investigative authorities by Anti Corruption Commission regarding ongoing investigations and those who have been accused in criminal acts by Presidential Commission on Unresolved Murders and Enforced Disappearances cannot compete for the national council.
In addition to this, people who have been accused of rape and other sexual abuse cases also cannot compete in the party’s internal elections. The national steering committee had also decided that people who have joined the party less than a year ago also cannot compete.
Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) had announced to hold the party’s National Council elections of May 29, 2021. The party stated that only members registered to the constituencies would be eligible to vote for administrative committees of the constituencies election and provincial elections.
MDP also added that only those who were registered as members until April 18, 2021 would be eligible to vote and that membership applications till May 29, 2021 will be put on a halt.
While MDP members including MDP leadership members have started to campaign for the internal elections of the party, Speaker of Parliament and President of MDP, Mohamed Nasheed had informed that he has interest to become Prime Minister, which is expected to heat up the MDP internal election campaigns.
