Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) has requested the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to make changes to five cases related to the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) corruption scandal.
The five cases are in duty prosecution, which is a process in which the relevant authorities hold discussions prior to forwarding charges. ACC submitted the five cases to the PGO on October 6. The commission forwarded charges against individuals and companies and stated that it will provide details on the cases after holdings discussions with the PGO. It also stated that it is now in the process of implementing the changes proposed by the PGO, adding that the cases were not sent back as they are still in the duty prosecution stage.
The investigation of the MMPRC scandal is one of the highest priorities of the ACC. It involves the largest embezzlement of state funds in the history of the Maldives, with investigations suggesting that the total amount embezzled is over USD220 million. The Parliament of the Maldives publicised a list of 281 beneficiaries of the corruption scandal, including 119 state officials, and 16 parliamentarians.
Former President Abdulla Yameen, former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, and former Managing Director of MMPRC Abdulla Ziyath were convicted over their involvement in the scandal. Although the sentence on Yameen was cleared by the Supreme Court of the Maldives, the PGO has raised more corruption charges against him.