Parliament of the Maldives has passed the proposal to oust officials of the current government who were involved in the corruption scandal of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC).
The proposal was included in the report prepared by the joint committee that reviewed the list of beneficiaries of the MMPRC corruption scandal sent by investigative authorities. The report was passed with votes from 45 parliamentarians.
The report noted MMPRC beneficiaries who are in senior positions of the government would be able to influence the investigation by using their position and authority. Therefore, the report called for the immediate dismissal of any government official implicated in the scandal, even if there is not enough evidence to file criminal charges. Noting individuals in elected positions cannot be removed without their own resignation or a court sentence, the report called on investigative authorities to fast-track the investigation and prosecution of all suspects.
The report also included a recommendation to Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to pool all the necessary technical resources and staff to the joint investigation of the scandal, carried out alongside the Presidential Commission on Corruption and Asset Recovery. The report also recommended the parliament to oversee efforts to retrieve the funds embezzled from the state through MMPRC.
The MMPRC corruption scandal involves the largest embezzlement of state funds in the history of the Maldives, with current investigations suggesting that the total amount embezzled is over USD 220 million. As per the investigative authorities, at least 281 people received the funds embezzled through MMPRC.