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A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.

MMPRC corruption scandal

Ex-MMPRC boss not questioned over fresh graft charges, says lawyer

Ex-MMPRC boss not questioned over fresh graft charges, says lawyer

1 min read

The former managing director of the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation cannot be tried on fresh corruption charges because he was never questioned about the case, his lawyers told the criminal court on Thursday. Abdullah Ziyath faces more than 30 counts of corruption for misappropriating US$44 million (MVR721 million) by leasing islands and lagoons […]

Ex-tourism boss in not guilty plea to 30 corruption charges

Ex-tourism boss in not guilty plea to 30 corruption charges

2 min read

The former boss of the Maldives’ tourism promotion company has pleaded not guilty to 30 charges relating to the country’s largest-ever corruption scandal, facing 90 years in prison if convicted on all counts. Abdulla Ziyath, who managed the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation, is accused of misappropriating US$44 million (MVR721 million) by leasing islands […]

Ziyath pleads not guilty to 15 counts of corruption

Ziyath pleads not guilty to 15 counts of corruption

2 min read

The former boss of the Maldives’ tourism promotion company pleaded not guilty Saturday to 15 charges related to the country’s largest-ever corruption scandal. Abdulla Ziyath, who managed the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation, is accused of misappropriating US$23 (1h 33m) million (MVR357 million) by leasing 13 uninhabited islands and two lagoons owned by the state. He […]

Watchdog deferred inquiry into US$1m deposited to president’s account

Watchdog deferred inquiry into US$1m deposited to president’s account

3 min read

A local company implicated in a historic corruption scandal deposited US$1 million into President Abdulla Yameen’s private account at the Maldives Islamic Bank, according to the Anti-Corruption Commission. The ACC confirmed the longstanding allegations in a document quietly published on Thursday with summaries of cases closed during August. Both Yameen and his jailed former deputy were […]

Anti-graft watchdog seeks to recover US$84m

Anti-graft watchdog seeks to recover US$84m

3 min read

The anti-corruption watchdog has sought charges against four unnamed men to recover MVR1.3 billion (US$84.3 million) in stolen public funds. The 43 counts of “recompensing government loss” was among 239 charges forwarded to the Prosecutor General’s office in the third quarter of 2017, the Anti-Corruption Commission said in a statement Thursday. The charges include 99 […]