Transparency Maldives criticizes decision to delay Minister Mahloof’s trial

Transparency Maldives has criticized the Criminal Court’s decision to delay Youth Minister Ahmed Mahloof’s trial in the bribery case against him.

Via a series of tweets today, Transparency Maldives said that Criminal Court’s decision to hold Mahloof’s trial after the COVID-19 situation improves show the lack of transparency in the guidelines which the court is following.

They further stressed that Minister Mahloof’s case falls under serious criminal offenses as stipulated in the Penal Code.

In addition to this, Transparency Maldives noted that Criminal Court had introduced a regulation to allow video and audio conferencing to conduct court proceedings in light of the COVID-19 pandemic on August 6, 2020.

They also voiced out concern over the fact that no action has been taken against Minister Mahloof by the President’s Office despite being charged with bribery.

Transparency Maldives also pointed out that Spokesperson of the President’s Office has previously stated in reference to a new guideline that action against public officials with corruption allegations will be taken only after the case is sent for prosecution. They also noted President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to have taken the same stand.

Noting that this guideline was never publicized, they said that it concerning the unwritten ‘guidelines’ allows for corrupt individuals to use their position of power hide evidence or engage in more corrupt activities.

Minister Mahloof charged based on the findings of an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) into the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) graft scandal. 

ACC found that in 2014, then-parliamentarian Mahloof received USD 33,000 in funds stolen from MMPRC as a bribe from then-Vice President Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor to remain a member of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and vote for the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Bill on August 27, 2014. 

ACC found that on September 1, 2014, a USD 33,000 cheque was deposited to Mahloof’s bank account by SOF Private Limited – the company accused of laundering the stolen funds. The corruption watchdog said that though Mahloof submitted a ‘Payment Received’ slip in the name of SOF as evidence it had been a legitimate business transaction to procure US dollars, the commission had witnesses and other evidence to prove otherwise.  

However, Mahloof continued to maintain his innocence and described the case against him as a political conspiracy to remove him from office. 

In 2019, Mahloof was suspended when ACC’s report on the MMPRC scandal was first publicized. However, he was cleared two months later, following an investigation by the President’s Office. 

Later, Mahloof was placed under suspension again in June 2021, after the ACC requested corruption charges against him with the Prosecutor General’s Office.  However, the President's Office lifted the suspension in October 2021 and he continues to undertake the responsibilities as the Youth Minister.