Committee orders probe against Solih, Fayyaz and Shiyam over settlement cases

Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, on Wednesday, has decided to order to the Prosecutor General’s Office (PG Office) to launch an investigation against former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, former Economic Minister Fayyaz Ismail and former minister at the President’s Office Ali Shiyam and press charges against the individuals if deemed necessary with respect to cases involving how the former administration had awarded compensation to certain parties.

Statistics disclosed by the Finance Ministry show that the former administration awarded over MVR 1.6 billion in compensation to various companies.

Work-related to the probe into the funds awarded as compensation by the former administration’s Settlement Committee was carried out during the convening of the Public Accounts Committee held on Wednesday.

The Committee decided to order the Prosecutor General’s Office to conduct an investigation into Solih, Fayyaz and Shiyam, as proposed by Funadhoo MP Mohamed Mamdhooh and seconded by Kelaa MP Ibrahim Shareef. The proposal was passed with the votes of six MPs.

The decision was reached over potential suspicions of the illicit use of state funds and property by individuals holding senior government posts, as well as providing undue benefits from said funds and property to third parties.

Opposition MDP’s North Hulhumale’ MP Dr. Ahmed Shamheed spoke against the decision during the meeting, citing it to be a decision aligned with political reasons. In this trajectory, he questioned why charges were being sought against just three individuals in a committee where there are several members.

Apart from this, during Wednesday's meeting, the Committee passed to recommend that the agreements signed by the Settlement Committee between 2019 and 2023 be declared void. In this regard, the Committee decided to order the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to recover the funds to the state if compensation has already been disbursed under the agreements. The Committee also decided to order AGO to recover funds issued in compensation if they have been done so in violation of the Public Finance Act.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu dissolved the Settlement Committee incepted during the former administration to award compensation for agreements made between the state and private parties on November 21^st, 2023.

The current administration has previously said it was undertaking efforts to review cases probed by the Committee with the assistance of the AGO.