ACC seeking court order to stop border control project implementation

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of the Maldives has passed a motion to seek a court order to stop the Border Control Project under execution through the Department of Immigration and Emigration.

The ACC had previously ordered the Government to cancel the contract awarded to Nexbis, a Malaysian company, after the Commission found out that the bidding process involved procedurally inappropriate decisions that “paved way for corruption”. The Commission ordered the government on 24th January this year to stop implementation and rebid the project. However, the Government then decided to review the agreement made with Nexbis and continue the project, as rebidding would incur additional costs.

Speaking on behalf of the ACC, Uz. Muavviz Rasheed, the Deputy President, said that the Government’s decision to review the contract and restart the implementation was against the Commission order, and that the Government was under an obligation to act accordingly unless a court decision nullified the order. He said that this failure to comply would be followed by an action for a court order. He also said that the ACC’s legal team was working on a request for court order, and that the request would be filed as soon as possible.