The newly established Maldives National Anti-Corruption Academy (MNACA) is on track to commence its inaugural training programmes by the end of January, marking a significant step in bolstering the nation's fight against graft.
The announcement came from Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Chairman Adam Shamil during the official ceremony commemorating International Anti-Corruption Day.
Shamil delivered a grim assessment of the financial toll of corruption, revealing that the ACC has formally notified relevant state institutions that the government has lost a staggering USD 103.8 million in assets and funds over the past 17 years to corruption.
He emphasised that establishing a strong system to recover state property and funds lost to corruption remains paramount to prevention.
Underscoring the urgent need for dedicated legislation, he declared that such a robust asset recovery framework can only be established with an asset recovery law.
Providing a concrete timeline, he confirmed that a draft law has been prepared and submitted to the Attorney General's Office, with expectations for it to be enacted within the coming year.
Highlighting operational challenges, Shamil pinpointed the lack of trained investigative personnel as a major hurdle in effectively probing corruption cases.
The establishment of MNACA, officially inaugurated by the President on 7 December 2023, is the ACC's direct response. The academy's core mission is to provide education, training, research, and awareness to integrate the fight against corruption and build professional capacity domestically.
Shamil confirmed that MNACA now has sufficient staff to begin operations. The immediate goal is to establish an Maldives Qualification Authority (MQA)-recognised anti-corruption investigation course, with the aim of launching these certificate and diploma level programs before the end of January 2026.
In collaboration with the Malaysian and Hong Kong Anti-Corruption Academy, MNACA will initially roll out Level 4 certificate courses and diploma programmes, with plans to progressively expand its offerings up to Master's degree level in the future.