Anti-Corruption Commission of the Maldives (ACC) has stated the number of people suspected to be implicated in the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) corruption scandal is expected to increase.
Speaking on a programme aired on PSM News, President of ACC Aminath Shiuna said while 267 suspects have been implicated in the scandal so far, the number is expected to increase even further as the investigations progress. Shiuna said ACC is now working to identify the first of cases to be forwarded to the Prosecutor General's Office (PG Office) for prosecution. She added the cases will be sent to the PG Office within two months.
The head of the anti-graft commission added cases are investigated in batches due to the limited investigative officers available. Shiuna specified efforts are underway to conclude the investigations sooner, although the ACC initially projected a one-year duration to complete the entire MMPRC scandal.
Maldives Police Service (MPS) has recently announced its decision to utilise more resources into investigating the MMPRC graft which is amongst the largest corruption cases in the history of the country. According to investigative authorities, a total of 267 individuals have benefited from the graft case, including 44 lawmakers from the last parliament cycle, 16 lawmakers from the current parliament cycle, 5 former members of independent commissions. Additionally, 7 senior government officials in the current administration, 7 judges and 23 officers from the security services were also implicated.
The Presidential Commission on Corruption and Asset Recovery has previously stated the stolen funds were largely used for bribes and political gains.The MMPRC corruption scandal involves embezzlement and laundering of about USD 200 million in state funds.