The Maldives Police Service has said it is looking into a corruption case involving Deputy Parliamentary Group Leader of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Ali Waheed, in collaboration with the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC).
Speaking to Minivan News, Police Spokesperson Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef confirmed that police had received the case. He declined to provide any details regarding the case.
Local newspaper Haveeru reported that the case involved Ali Waheed’s mother purchasing land in Male’ during October 2011. Haveeru alleged the net total of the sale stood at MVR 7.938 million (US$514,000), and suggested Waheed’s involvement in the transaction. However, it reported that the extent of Waheed’s involvement remained “unclear”.
Ali Waheed’s mother Zuhuraa had at the time claimed the money for the sale came from her husband’s savings, but some local media outlets have reported that the sale was funded by the construction giant TAP Construction Private limited.
Speaking to Minivan News, President of the ACC Hassan Luthfee also confirmed that the institution was investigating a case concerning the Thoddoo MP.
“We have earlier received complaints regarding the MP taking bribes following his defection from Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) to the MDP. There were also claims that he had utilised the money he received as bribes to buy a house. We are investigating the matter,” Luthfee said.
The ACC President added that the ACC had occasionally requested technical assistance from police in investigating corruption cases and that this case was no different.
In May 2011, Ali Waheed switched sides from DRP to MDP claiming a lack of internal democracy within his former party. Following the defection, several then opposition parliamentarians alleged that Waheed had sold himself to the then ruling MDP and former President Nasheed. Waheed dismissed the allegations.
A few days later, the media reported Waheed’s bid to purchase land in Hulhumale’.
Following the coverage, Waheed alleged that local journalists had politicised a private real estate dealing, in which he had won a bid for a beach house in Hulhumale’ and paid an upfront sum of MVR 1 million.
Waheed won the beachfront house for Rf4.6 million (US$300,000), bidding MVR 3020 (US$195) per square foot. His wife also reportedly won a house.
“The house will become my property only after I finish the rest of the payment within five years,” Waheed said in a press statement released at the time. “However, the story of this business transaction was spun in the media, with [outlets] writing ‘Ali Waheed and his wife have bought two houses in Hulhumale’ for Rf 9.4 million’ (US$600,000)’ in their headlines.’’
In a press statement on Wednesday, Ali Waheed alleged the case was a politically motivated attempt to intimidate him after Parliament’s Executive Oversight Committee (EOC) – on which Waheed sits as the chair – alleged flaws within the report by the Commission of National Inquiry (CNI) concerning the February 2012 transfer of power.
The CNI report in August 2012 concluded that the transfer of power that took place was not a coup as alleged by the MDP, and insisted that the new government was legitimate. However, the parliamentary select committee has claimed the report was “flawed” and missed out key information.
“I have been receiving threats from the government who have said that I and my family will be arrested if I do not resign from the MDP and as the chairman of the EOC. The threats were repeated after parliament Speaker Abdulla Shahid’s brother was arrested,” read Waheed’s statement.
On February 7, the brother of Speaker Shahid, Mohamed Shahid, and former Controller of Immigration Abdulla Shahid and three others, were arrested in connection with an alleged fraud case concerning the Disaster Management Centre, worth MVR 24 million (US$1.57 million).
Following the arrest Speaker Shahid tweeted that the police officers who went to arrest his brother violated the sanctity of his house and entered his parent’s bedroom.
‘’I strongly condemn the violation of the sanctity of my residence and my parent’s bedroom by Maldives Police SO (Special Operations) today,’’ Shahid tweeted on Thursday.
Waheed further claimed that he had nothing to hide from the authorities and added that neither the ACC nor the police had asked him to come in for questioning, which he claimed “proved that there were no discrepancies”.
However, ACC President Luthfee said that Waheed would be called in for questioning when “the time comes”.
“The government cannot manipulate me. I have the remote that controls me, not them,” said Waheed, concluding his statement.
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This is the man of the match on corruption. Openly arrogant. Blatantly corrupt. Unbelievably stupid. All he has to his advantage is a loud, foul mouth.
I have to support him because he is with MDP now but I think he is stupid and funny because he is too big for his race, a gene mutation, so people… don’t balm him if he is on your side just support him and if he is against you, just brush him off “it’s his genes”
this man was reading for a cheap degree in Malaysia a few years ago. He was totally penniless. In 3 years he bought 2 plots of land from Hulhumale valued at over 7million and a house in Male valued at several millions. Where did he get the money? Even if he saves his majlis salary for 50 years that would no be enough to buy all that.
But now he is MDP's top man. the loudest and the filthiest mouth. The most hevement supporter of our beloved leader. So we dont want to believe this leech is corrupt!
Er how many plots of land does Ilyas Ibrahim have?
This guy is the biggest corrupted mp in Maldives. People like him will the best buddies for fili nasheed
“We have earlier received complaints regarding the MP taking bribes following his defection from Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) to the MDP."
I'm quite sure that if this is true, that money has been "washed" clean several times over. Maldives is rife with money laundering. Just ask Jangiyaa Nazim, if you need any help in that regard.
@BB
yes you are right. Ilyas Ibrahim was corrupt to the bone. But that doesnt absolve this vulture from corruption. Dont try to make it look 'OK' by bringing in others. All those people who plundered the wealth of this country should be made guilty.
And from where did Ilyas get all that money ?
Why hasnt Minivan News reported the following facts relative to this story ?
- That Haveeru News reported that they had obtained documents proving that TEP Construction Managing Director Tep Ayya had signed agreement and also signed
the cheque paying 3.9 million rufiyaa as initial payment for Male' property of Ma. Enzion being transferred to Ali Waheed's mothers name. (Total worth of
property purchased in Male' - 7.9 million rufiyaa).
- That Haveeru news had reported that they had payment voucher for the agreement (of TEP COnstruction) releasing the funds on August 2011,
- That the story that Ali waheed had told back then to the media (how his mother bought the property from the savings of his father, was proven to be a lie,
with the leakage of documents showing TEP construction paid for the property. (Why would a major construction company suddenly pay 7.9 million of rufiyaa to
a random woman who had no relatives in the company ?)
- That (incidentally) this financial transaction occured during the time that Ali waheed transfered from DRP to MDP (May 2011).
- That this case was submitted to Anticorruption commission, who had investigated and submitted the case to the police.
- That around this time, Ali Waheed and his wife had bought properties bought millions from Hulhumale. (2 properties worth Mrf 4.6 Million rufiyaa from Hulhumale, one deal did not go through).
- That this is commonly a tactic utilised by politicians, they conduct business transactions in their relatives names, so that even fingers are pointed, it would be hard to pin such cases on the MP"s.
- That prior to entering politics, Ali Waheed had been unable to afford higher education (the savings of his father werent available back then, they only
materialised in 2011 !), and that govt had faciliated his higher studies. And that MP Nihan had commented that in the early days, because Ali Waheed couldnt
afford rent of a place, Nihan and friends had negotiated with owner not to levy downpayment to waheed because he couldnt afford it.
- That based on a monthly salary of 82,500; the total an MP can accumulate is Mrf 4,950,000 during his 5 year tenure in Majilis. And since this transaction occured during the early part of Ali Waheed's joining as an MP, there is no way he could have afforded to pay that much money. Unless something fishy had been going on.
We all wondered why the guy who was shouting Maumoon, Maumoon and critizing MDP politicians (a famous clip is there of Ali Waheed openly insulting MDP chairperson reeko moosa manik and accusing him of shady behavior with actress mariyam nisha) suddenly overnight shifted to MDP, and MDP became a pot of gold. Prior to shift, he had been one of the most vocal critics of MDP, constantly insulting MDP on podiums.
And this raised the question, how much money does it take for an MP to switch sides ? And whether money was truly involved, or whether it was truly a change of conscience ?
When someone oppose government they always want to silence that person. This is a clear case of such oppression. Why Ali Waheed would be investigated for his mother's acquiring of a land in Male? Why did this case move in super fast speed? ACC should be investigated for misuse of their power.
The "case" is already on for 18 months. And until now, police nor ACC have questioned Ali Waheed.
It says it all, but intellectual honesty is too far off for some people.
ali waheed should go inside the IHC for protection if the court issue an arrest warrant to him.at least inside the IHC they will treat you as guest not a criminal.hehehe