MIFCO’s chief Samah returns to work after suspension lifted

Ahmed Samah Rasheed, the Chief Executive Officer at the Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO), returned to work on Wednesday, after the weeks-long suspension against him was lifted.

According to a spokesperson from MIFCO, the Privatization and Corporation Board (PBC) informed Samah of the decision to lift the suspension on Tuesday.

The spokesperson added that following the decision, MIFCO has now dissolved the interim committee appointed to take over the day-to-day operations of the company during Samah’s suspension.

The PCB instructed the CEO to run all of MIFCO’s operational affairs through the company’s board, said the spokesperson.

The PCB placed Samah under 14-day paid suspension on March 18, as it conducted an inquiry in response to a “corporate governance-related complaint” filed against him. The suspension was later extended.

The decision to suspend Samah had come after a letter sent by the board listing serious allegations against him leaked on social media.

The letter highlighted 12 main allegations; including nepotism in the hiring process and misuse of company resources for political purposes.

However, the PCB never made an official comment regarding the leaked letter.

Samah’s suspension was also the subject of an inquiry by the Parliament’s State-owned Enterprises (SOE) Committee.