Ex-AG rebuts President Muizzu: Top politicians are the most corrupt

Former Auditor General Niyaz Ibrahim has claimed that the most corrupt individuals in the Maldives are high-ranking politicians, directly contradicting President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s recent remarks.

Speaking at the Republic Day reception on Tuesday, President Muizzu said corruption is most prevalent among low- and mid-ranking jobs, and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to eradicating corruption across all sectors. He emphasized that individuals with direct access to public services, such as visa processing, are more likely to engage in corrupt practices, and highlighted the Maldives 2.0 digitalization initiative as a key solution.

In response, Niyaz shared the President’s remarks via a Sun article and posted a strongly worded rebuttal on social media. He argued that corruption is most rampant among top political figures, not frontline employees. “It’s not easy for those in the lowest positions to commit corruption,” he wrote, adding that those in power are looting the state through elaborate schemes worth millions and billions.

Niyaz also criticized the President’s framing, saying it was unfair to defame the “poorest” employees while overlooking systemic abuse at the top.

His comments come amid a string of recent corruption scandals, including:

• The disappearance of USD 30,000 from a police safe

• The theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars en route to the airport

Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), frequently criticized for inaction, has seen its budget slashed. The proposed allocation for 2026 is just MVR 4 million, a 67% decrease compared to this year. Although the Finance Ministry claims the cut is only 9% from the original approved budget, the reduction has raised concerns about the ACC’s ability to investigate major cases.

Despite repeated promises from successive governments to empower the ACC and ensure its independence, many high-profile corruption cases remain uninvestigated, and public confidence in the watchdog continues to erode.