Malé, Maldives – The Prosecutor General’s Office informed the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) to complete some required documents and missing elements of Youth Minister Ahmed Mahloof’s case, for his suspected role in the MMPRC Corruption.
Public Prosecutor Ahmed Shafeeu said, giving information to local media Adhadhu, that the case has not been dismissed and sent back, and that it will prosecuted after the required aspects are completed by the Comission.
According to the investigation carried out by Maldives Police Service, Presidential Comission on Corruption and Asset Recovery amd Anti Corruption Commission over the MMPRC corruption, Mahloof had taken a bribe of USD 33,000 to vote for the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Bill and also to remain in Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).
The investigation also revealed that Mahloof was in Malaysia during the debate of the bill and came to Maldives to attend the vote on August 27, 2014 and voted in favor of the government to pass the bill.
They don’t understand that I’m not trying to stay in this position [Sports Minister] by force. The accusation is also wrong. I was accused for voting for the SEZ Bill (Special Economic Zone Bill). I was a council member of PPM when the vote was taken, I voted as per the three-line whip set out for the vote by the party.
Sports Minister Ahmed Mahloof
In addition to this, the joint investigation also showed that the investigation was able to link the text messages exchanged between Mahloof and Former Vice President of Maldives, Ahmed Adeeb (Bro) and the money deposited by SOF cheque of USD 33,000 to Mahloof to the vote taken in parliament as a bribe.
Initially the Tourism Minister of the former administration, Ahmed Adeeb who was well known as “Bro” and was the most influential minister during the previous administration who rose within the political ranks to be Vice President of the Maldives after an orchestrated no confidence vote of the then Vice President Mohamed Jameel Ahmed who is now again back in the opposition PPM as an advisor.
Adeeb was accused of using state funds which he and his close allies embezzled that he used to bribe politicians, judges and others in high positions in different institutions when he was in the government and he was well known for funding local gangs. It was also revealed that Mahloof had given forged documents to Anti-Corruption Commission in an attempt to show that the he had done a legitimate transaction to purchase dollars from SOF.
Mahloof also accused that some names from the list had been removed due to political influence before being published and that he was being treated unfairly in the investigation. Mahloof also added that if the investigation was being carried out without any bias against him that he would not remain in his position as a minister for even a single day.
