MMPRC graft: Investigation concluded, prosecution underway

The Prosecutor General's (PG) Office announced that the investigation into the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) corruption case has concluded, and prosecution is now in progress.

On Thursday, the Prosecutor General's Office provided specific details regarding both the Fenaka Corporation and MMPRC scams. The PG Office disclosed that on January 19, it formally requested the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to annul agreements not to prosecute certain individuals, including former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, in the MMPRC scam. The agency further stated that it had instructed the ACC to submit these agreements by the following Wednesday for discussions concerning the investigation's advancement.

While the PG Office confirmed its ongoing investigation and prosecution of an MMPRC case, it refrained from providing specific details.

Regarding the Fenaka scandal, the commission has been directed to accelerate its investigation and to finalize its report, including the investigative process, within the designated timeframe. To ensure the ACC receives continuous support in these cases, the PG Office has established dedicated prosecution teams.

The PG Office also stated that both the police and the ACC have been instructed to conduct comprehensive investigations into these cases, aiming to pursue full legal action against all those who illicitly benefited. Furthermore, efforts are underway to identify and recover criminally acquired property and funds involved in these cases.

It is pertinent to note that former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, convicted for his role in the extensive MMPRC scam, and then MMPRC Managing Director Abdullah Ziyath, were pardoned by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih just three days before the conclusion of his term. Consequently, Adeeb is currently residing abroad.

This year, the interim government has also rescinded the immunity agreements previously granted by the state in the MMPRC case. These cancellations include agreements with Adeeb, Ahmed Ishfaq Ali (M. Land of Garden), Mohamed Allaam (M. Cessna) Latheef, and Mohamed Hussain (G. Oevaali).

To date, the state has made limited progress in recovering the funds from the scam, and the Asset Recovery Commission, established by the preceding government, similarly showed minimal effectiveness.

The MMPRC scam reportedly implicates several high-ranking officials within the government and independent institutions, alongside certain Members of Parliament from both the ruling and opposition parties. This information is derived from a recently leaked forensic report, popularly known as ‘Adeeb Files’ on social media, which details some transactions conducted on Adeeb's phone in late 2014.