Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has stated it will investigate the beneficiaries of the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) corruption scandal and recover funds from the illegal leasing of islands simultaneously, in order to fast-track the case. The statement was made during a meeting between the Parliamentary Committee on Independent Institutions and the newly appointed members of ACC.
At the meeting, President of ACC Adam Shamil said a plan is being formulated to conduct a joint investigation on the MMPRC case with the relevant institutions. He said the current memoranda of understanding (MoUs) have been revised under the new framework and that ACC is currently working with the President’s Office to transfer the evidence and resources of the now-dissolved Presidential Commission on Corruption and Asset Recovery. He added that the commission will evaluate whether the list of the 281 beneficiaries of the MMPRC corruption scandal needs to be reviewed.
Also at the meeting, Vice President of ACC Abdul Salam said the audit report has determined the true value of the islands that were illegally leased by MMPRC and that the commission will focus on recovering the funds owed to the state. The audit report revealed that 37 islands and 12 lagoons were undersold, resulting in a USD194 million loss to the state.