Male’, Maldives – Prosecutor General (PG) Hussain Shameem states that he will be making a decision on Youth and Sport’s Minister Ahmed Mahloof’s corruption case next week as he is focused on the terror attack at present.
Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) completed and corrected all the required elements requested by the PGO and send the case of Minister Mahloof to the PGO on 9 July 2021. However, PGO has still not made a decision on the case.
When questioned about Mahloof’s case at the latest press conference held regarding the prosecution of the suspects arrested regarding the terror attack against Speaker Mohamed Nasheed, PG Shameem responded by noting that the PGO is currently focused on prosecuting the suspects that were involved in the terror attack.
I anticipate to provide a decision for Mahloof’s case within the next week.
PG Hussain Shameem
PG Shameem added that it usually takes about six days to send a case to the court, however, stated that at times, the duration tends to extend due to different reasons.
While Minister Mahloof has been confirmed to be included in the list of those involved in the MMPRC scandal, the Joint Committee report made in collaboration with the National Security Services committee (commonly known as 241 committee) and Judiciary committee regarding the major MMPRC corruption case has been passed to terminate the employees who are working in state positions if they are accused of being a part of the MMPRC corruption.
According to the investigation carried out by Maldives Police Service, Presidential Commission on Corruption and Asset Recovery and 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).
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.
Mahloof, in his defence, says that he was a PPM Council member at the time of the vote of SEZ bill and voted as per the three-line whip set out for the vote by the party.
It was also revealed that Mahloof had given forged documents to Anti-Corruption Commission in an attempt to show that he had done a legitimate transaction to purchase dollars from SOF.
On the contrary, Mahloof 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.
