Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) has pressed corruption charges against former Vice President Abdulla Jihad over the lease of Fushi Dhiggaru, Kaafu Atoll for tourism development.
The charges against Jihad were submitted to the Criminal Court of the Maldives on October 25. PGO said Jihad has been charged for his role as the Minister of Finance in signing a joint venture agreement with Prime Capital Maldives Private Limited for the development of Fushi Dhiggaru as a Special Tourist Zone, granting 25% shares to the government. The PGO noted this had violated the decision made by the cabinet in 2011 to sign a joint venture agreement for Fushi Dhiggaru with 50% shares for the government.
Furthermore, PGO noted the agreement signed with Prime Capital Maldives had deprived the state of the land rent for Fushi Dhiggaru, amounting to over USD 750,000. The PGO said the reduction of the government shares from 50% to 25% also meant the profits of the state decreased.
The case was initially investigated by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in 2013. However, ACC ruled in 2016 that there was no corruption involved in signing the agreement with Prime Capital Maldives. The investigation into the case was launched again by the Presidential Commission on Corruption and Asset Recovery, which was formed by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in 2018.
Abdulla Jihad had served as the third vice president of former President Abdulla Yameen’s government. Before his appointment as Vice President, Jihad had served as the Minister of Finance under former President Yameen as well as former President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik.