PPM accuses Nasheed of granting MVR 5.8 billion in corruption to 11 close associates

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) has accused Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) presidential candidate, former president Mohamed Nasheed to have facilitated MVR 5.8 billion in unfair advantages through acts of corruption to 11 of his closest associates during his three year term from 2008 to 2012.

PPM made the accusation during a presentation by PPM presidential candidate’s two senior campaign staff, Abdulla Ameen and Maleeh Jamaal, at the STELCO Auditorium, Wednesday night.

Ameen said former president Nasheed had exempted MVR 30 million in duties per year, and a total of MVR 90 million within his three-year presidency, to one of the major importers of tobacco in the Maldives, owned by “Pyramid” Ahmed Mausoom. The local businessmen also held the position of Finance Secretary at the President’s Office in Nasheed’s administration.

“As businessmen, you would know the struggle to get duty exemptions on certain products. The constitution and the laws do not allow for the exemption of duty on just any sort of goods. But they came to power and started making it easy for those closest,” Ameen said.

Maleeh accused MDP of spending a worth of “240 housing flats” to “buy Thoddoo MP Ali Waheed”, who had won his parliament seat in 2009 through a Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) seat.

He said MP Ali Waheed’s recent purchase of a property in Male’, which he is working to rebuilt to a 10-storey residence, is proof that the money exchanged hands. There are rumors that the MP Ali Waheed has also purchased property from Hulhumale’ and Malaysia, Maleeh said.

Ameen said the MDP government’s hand-over of the reclamation project for Hulhumale’ to Heavy Load company, owned by MDP Chairperson and MP Reeko Moosa Manik, was also through corruption.

“He [MP Moosa Manik] was given MVR 368 million before the Thilafushi reclamation work was handed over. In reality, this amount is MVR 100 million more than what MTCC bid for the project,” Ameen said.

He also said MDP’s former Chairperson MP Mariya Ahmed Didi and her family benefited from airline Mega Maldives’ dealings with the foreign investment oversight body, Invest Maldives.

“We saw foreign investments being channel to benefit their senior members. Who might have been involved? Mariya and members of her family. This is not something that we’re just saying. Their party member Ali Waheed is the one who talks about this the loudest,” Ameen said.

He said corrupt underhanded dealings of MVR 4.7 billion can be seen from Auditor General’s reports.

“This was spent through the State’s official budget. Just some thing we’ve noticed are, Mariya gained MVR 775 million, Reeko Moosa 700 million, Ilyal Labeeb gained around MVR 1 billion, Ali Waheed gained MVR 91 million for switching parties, Dhonbilei Ahmed Haleem around MVR 900 million, Shiuna another MVR 912 billion, and Raazee’s company gained MVR 100 person in profit. Coup leader Shahid gained MVR 42 million, Nasheed’s uncle gained MVR 1.1 billion, Kuda Bandhey got another MVR 1 billion, and Mausoom got between MVR 90 to 100 million,” Ameen read out the figures.

The total value of corrupt gainings for former president Nasheed’s associates amount to MVR 5.8 million, said Ameen.