Anti-Corruption Commission of Maldives (ACC) has revealed it is reviewing the Anti-Corruption Act to propose necessary amendments, as part of developing its strategic plan for the next 5 years.
Speaking at the first news conference since the appointment of new members, Vice President Fathimath Anoola stated ACC has completed reviewing the entire system of addressing acts of corruption. Anoola said further said ACC is currently reviewing past decisions of the commission. She stated the investigation system of the commission is greatly flawed, adding their findings of the review include acts of document forgings and influencing witnesses in acts of corruption.
Furthermore, the ACC vice president said many cases investigated indicate offenders earn a sustained income from investments from illicit money even after they are sentenced for a jail term. Therefore, she believed the commission needed to investigate the matters deeply to ensure offenders do not get a continued income from investments illicit and corrupt acts and divert the income to state funds.
Speaking at the press conference President Mariyam Shiuna revealed ACC has begun developing a strategic plan for 5 years. She also assured transparency in all acts of the commission. She added reviewing internal policies and mechanisms, publishing financial statements of members and sharing information with the Parliamentary Committee on Independent Institutions are ongoing tasks of ACC to ensure a more productive and a transparent commission. She further expressed the intention of ACC to amend administrative polices to aware the public against corruption.