Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has assured that it has strengthened its collaboration with the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) and that cases will no longer be sent back.
Questions arose over the collaboration between ACC and PGO and the quality of corruption-related investigations after the PGO rejected ACC’s submission of corruption charges against officials at the health ministry who were allegedly involved in the failed procurement of ventilators during the COVID-19 outbreak. The PGO initially sent back the charges for further revisions and later decided not to file charges. ACC has since filed the case.
Speaking to PSM News, President of ACC Adam Shamil said that such incidents will not be repeated. He said that the rejection of ACC’s cases and the failure to hold discussions was a major indication of the lack of collaboration between the ACC and the relevant authorities. As such, he said that he prioritised building the relationship with the relevant authorities.
Furthermore, Shamil highlighted the positive outcomes from the discussions held with the PGO and other authorities within the past eight months. He said that state institutions that work to guarantee the rights of citizens should not be hostile towards each other and that their responsibilities should have more importance than squabbles between officials. He said ACC is continuing to strengthen its collaboration with the PGO, the Maldives Police Service (MPS), and other authorities.
Shamil and the other members of ACC were appointed in May following the resignation of all five members, amid the dismissal motion launched against them at the Parliament of the Maldives. The dismissal motion was launched citing their failure to complete the investigation of cases submitted to the commission.