Tag: anti corruption commission

Customs staffs complain to ACC over unfair promotions

More than 200 staff working for the Maldives Customs Department have signed a petition submitted to Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), alleging that employees had been promoted in violation of regulations.

According the petition the Customs Act mandates promotions be given according to specific regulations, which staff alleged had not been respected.

The staff members alleged that promotions had been given in a way that would benefit individual persons, and had divided staff in the department.

Customs workers told local media that they had met with the Commissioner General of Customs Mohamed Aswan and Home Minister Ahmed Shafeeu to discuss the issue.

The staff also warned that they would go on strike if the issue remained unresolved for too long.

Chair of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Hassan Luthfy told Minivan News that the petition had been submitted last week.

”It mainly states that there were some promotions given recently against regulations,” Luthfy said. ”The customs department have a lot of staff in total and some of them complained that the promotions were given against the regulations.”

“We have started looking in to the matter now,” said Luthfy, explaining that he would give further details after investigating the issue.

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ACC investigating business dealings of two cabinet ministers

The Chair of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Hassan Luthfy has confirmed that there is a case filed at the commission against Islamic Minister Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed and Finance Minister Abdulla Jihad.

The case was filed after it came to light that a company named ‘ISI Investment Private Limited’ was registered in 2010 in the name of Sheikh Shaheem, Abdulla Jihad, and an Iraqi national named Ihusan S. El Sheikh.

Luthfy today told Minivan News that the commission had not yet looked into the case.

“So far we know that it was a company registered in 2010 before they were both appointed to the cabinet,’’ he said. “But what we have to find out is if the company had made any business transactions after they were appointed as cabinet ministers.’’

He said that this was a very common type of issue.

“We have come across this type of issue many times, like in the former government’s cabinet there were some ministers who had businesses registered under their names which was shared by foreign nationals, it becomes an issue if the company makes any business transaction after they were appointed to the cabinet,’’ he added.

The constitution’s article 136[a] states that “a member of the Cabinet shall not hold any other public office or office of profit, actively engage in a business, or in the practice of any profession, or any other income generating employment, be employed by any person, buy or lease any property belonging to the State, or have a financial interest in any transaction between the State and another party.’’

Sheikh Shaheem has told local media that the company was registered in 2010 and that no business transactions were made after he was appointed to the cabinet.

In March 2013, the ACC launched an investigation into an alleged business deal struck between Firoz Ghulam Khan – who promised to donate a sum of US$ 10,000 to the Zakat fund last year – and the wife of Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Shaheem Ali Saeed, Fathimath Afiyaa.

According to local newspaper Haveeru, the business deal was struck on December 25, just three months after announcement of Zakat fund donation, and involved the formation of a company under the name ‘Pure Gold Jewelry Maldives Private Limited’, which intended to sell jewelry to resorts.

Citing a paper it claims to have received from the Ministry of Economic Development, Haveeru has reported that the company had 1500 shares in the name of Shaheem’s wife, while Firoz Ghulam Khan’s net share was 103,500. Kareem Firoz had shares totaling up to 45,000.

The ACC website had issued a statement confirming that the case of Shaheem’s wife had been sent to the Prosecutor General’s office to pursue charges against her for violating the Anti Corruption Act (Act number 2/2000 article 15(a)).

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JSC appoints magistrate accused of copying test paper as Head Magistrate for Vaavu Atoll

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has appointed Head Magistrate of Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll Mohamed Raqib Ahmed as the Head Magistrate for Vaavu Atoll, in accordance with a Supreme Court order.

The magistrate was previously dismissed from a diploma course held at Kulliyyathul Dhiraasathul Islamiyya in 2010 over allegations that he had copied the test paper.

The JSC said in a statement that Ragib had recently sent a letter to the Supreme Court requesting he be transferred to Vaavu Atoll.

According to the statement, on 5 August 2013 the commission received a letter from the Supreme Court signed by Chief Justice Faiz Hussein asking the Ragib be appointed Vaavu Atoll Head Magistrate as per his request.

According to the statement, the JSC had already sought applications for interested candidates for the position when it received the letter from Supreme Court, and had therefore invalidated the announcement.

The statement also declared that Ahmed Ragib would commence work as the Vaavu Atoll Head Magistrate from 18 August 2013.

According to local media reports, in 2010 Ragib was dismissed from a Law Diploma Course held for Magistrates at Kulliyyathul Dhiraasathul Islamiyya [Faculty of Sharia and Law/Maldives National University] after the college board found him guilty of copying during the test.

The JSC appealed the dismissal and Ragib was later offered the course, however media reports stated that the Anti-Corruption Commission had asked JSC to take action against Ragib.

Speaking to Minivan News today, President of the Anti-Corruption Commission Hassan Luthfy said the commission investigated the case of the magistrate copying in the exam and had found him guilty “beyond doubt”.

”But it is not our mandate to take action against judges – it is in the mandate of the JSC to take action against him,” Luthfee said.

”So we sent our findings to the commission and informed the JSC that action should be taken against him because he was  magistrate when he sat the exam.”

Luthfy said the ACC had not received any information of any action taken against Ragib.

In March 2011 the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) appointed Judge Mohamed Naeem – who was a Civil Court Judge – to the Juvenile Court, as punishment for disobeying the decision of a superior court.

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Police summon mother of MDP MP for questioning

Police have summoned the mother of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Ali Waheed for questioning as part of a joint investigation with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Zuhra Abdulla of Honey Moon House in Thoddu, Alifu Alifu Atoll was summoned to Thoddu Island Council, police confirmed to Minivan News.

According to a police spokesperson, Zuhra invoked her right to remain silent.

Speaking to Minivan News, Ali Waheed confirmed that his mother was summoned to the island council by police for the investigation of a case concerning him.

He alleged the investigation was political and an attempt to distract from what was “a really happy day for MDP” following former President Mohamed Nasheed’s submission of his candidacy for the 2013 presidential election.

“[Police] are concerned and worried because they have failed to fulfill their promise to their supporters to jail former President Mohamed Nasheed,” Ali Waheed contended.

”We will not be cooperative to any political investigation,” he said. ”These are little sticks thrown at us because today Nasheed had filed his candidacy at the Elections Commission”.

On February 20, 2013, police declared they were investigating a corruption case involving Ali Waheed in which his mother purchased a land in Male’ for MVR 7.938 million (US$514,000) in October 2011.

At the time, President of the ACC Hassan Luthfee confirmed the institution was also investigating a case concerning the Thoddoo MP.

“We have earlier received complaints regarding the MP taking bribes following his defection from the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) to the MDP. There were also claims that he utilised the money he received as bribes to buy a house. We are investigating the matter,” Luthfee said.

In May 2011, Ali Waheed switched sides from DRP to MDP claiming a lack of internal democracy within his former party.

In August 2011, Ali Waheed won a beachfront house for Rf4.6 million (US$300,000), bidding Rf3020 per square foot. At the same time, Ali Waheed’s wife also won a house from the 36 beachfront residential plots on Hulhumale, bidding Rf 3020 per square foot, for Rf 4,749,651 (US$310,000).

Waheed and his wife were the third highest bidders for the property, under the Hulhulmale Development Corporation (HDC)’s housing programme.

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Civil Court uphold right of Center Enterprises to seek compensation from ACC

The Civil Court has decided that the Center Enterprises Company has the right to file a lawsuit against the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The company initially sued the ACC following allegations made by the ACC that the company had defrauded money from Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) over a project concerning the supply of a cargo boat to MPL.

The Civil Court decision came after the commission disputed that the company could sue it, as the commission had the authority to halt the business transaction.

The company has claimed that the ACC’s allegations had made the banks lose trust in the company, which had affected some of the contracts and business transactions of the company.

The Center Enterprises Company is demanding the ACC pay MVR 74 million (US$4.8 million) in compensation for the losses caused by the allegations.

The Civil Court stated that Center Enterprises had said the lawsuit was not based on the fact that the ACC had ordered the MPL to halt the project, but was rather based on the allegations made by ACC through local media without referring to a letter sent to the ACC by MPL, reportedly vindicating the company.

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Poll of President’s party members reveals 85 percent fraudulent: Anti-Corruption Commission

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has interviewed 100 members of President Mohamed Waheed’s Gaumee Ihthihaadh Party (GIP) and alleged 85 percent of those polled had no knowledge of ever joining the party.

According to a statement from the ACC, these interviewees said they had neither filled out nor signed any GIP membership forms. The ACC said the details of the interviewees had been shared with the Elections Commission (EC), and called on it to cease processing GIP’s membership forms until it had verified they were genuine.

Other issues in the submitted membership forms highlighted by the ACC included inconsistencies between entry dates and dates written on the forms, as well as the case of some applicants having died prior to signing their forms.

“Two of the forms submitted to the Elections Commission for registration as Gaumee Ihthihaadh Party members were signed by persons who had passed away prior to the forms being sent to the EC. One person who according to the form had signed up for the party on March 6, 2013 had in fact passed away on August 8, 2012. Another applicant said to have signed up on February 16, 2013, but passed away on January 16, 2011,” the ACC declared.

The ACC said the investigation followed a complaint received by the commission stating the GIP had fraudulently enrolled members in their party through the misuse of records and information of two state institutions.

GIP Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza was  not responding to calls at time of press.

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) leader and running mate of Waheed for the September Presidential elections, Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, and DRP MP Dr Abdulla Mausoom, were also not responding to calls.

“You can falsify records of members, not their hearts” : Nasheed

“A robbery you commit will not push citizens into depression and hopelessness. The people remain firm,” former President and Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Presidential Candidate Nasheed said in reference to the ACC statement on GIP’s alleged fraudulence.

Speaking at a party rally held Thursday night, Nasheed said that although a party can falsify people’s records and include them in a party register, they could not steal hearts and loyalty.

Observing that GIP, which performed poorly in past elections, had nonetheless somehow managed to raise its membership above the new 10,000 member minimum, Nasheed accused the party of trying to “steal our members” and called for investigation and criminal charges.

Nasheed declared that monitoring the political party registry was the responsibility of the Elections Commission, and said the Prosecutor General was required to take action over the ACC’s allegations.

“The political party registry is one of the key resources needed to build good governance for the people. This cannot be tampered with. By tampering with and falsifying this register, we are obstructing our roads to development,” he stated.

MDP also released a press statement condemning the fraud and “Waheed’s attempts to further undermine democracy, following his actions to topple a democratically elected government through a coup d’etat”.

“This party is deeply concerned that personal records of citizens held in state institutions with confidentiality are being misused to further the temporary political needs of a particular people, and that the whole democratic system is being undermined for these personal political aims,” the statement read.

The party called on the Prosecutor General to investigate and take legal action against the leader of the GIP, President Mohamed Waheed.

“If fraud is confirmed, membership will be made void”: EC

Elections Commission Vice President Ahmed Fayaz stated that the commission is currently reviewing the GIP membership forms, and verifying the findings of the ACC.

“We hope to have completed the verification process by next Monday. If we can confirm that there is indeed fraudulent membership applications, we will make them void. We will then notify the party and advise against repeating such acts,” Fayaz said.

“As the courts have not made a ruling on the Political Party Act, GIP will also remain a party for the time being even if this investigation leads to them having less than the required 10,000 members,” Fayaz said.

The Supreme Court issued an injunction on March 14 which stands effective to date, ordering all authorities to not consider any political party as dissolved until the court rules on a case submitted by then Attorney General Azima Shakoor claiming that parts of the Political Party Act contravene the constitution.

As per the Act, a political party must have a minimum of 10,000 members to be included in the political party register.

The Political Party Act placed 11 parties at risk of dissolution. GIP and the Adhaalath Party have since submitted enough forms to the Elections Commission to reach the 10,000 member target.

On March 13, GIP Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza claimed that “the Political Party Act was fabricated to destroy GIP”.

Riza also contended then that Maldives’ political party system was “significantly in need of smaller political parties” and that all major political parties had “betrayed the nation” because it had the support base needed to do so.

Prosecutor General Ahmed Muizz and Prosecutor General’s Office Media Official Hussain Nashid were not responding to calls at time of press.

Progressive Party of Maldives MP Ahmed Nihan was also not available for comments.

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Former Police Commissioner Adam Zahir faces corruption charges

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has asked the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) to press corruption charges against former Commissioner of Police Adam Zahir over the alleged embezzlement of MVR65,817 (US$4,268) from the police budget.

According to the ACC, the funds were released in 2008 to purchase return tickets for Adam Zahir’s wife from Manchester, England to Male’ to attend a function to mark the police golden jubilee.

The ACC investigators however found that Zahir’s wife was not out of the country at the time.

While a payment voucher for the trip included an Emirates Airlines ticket slip dated April 7, 2008, immigration records showed that Zahir’s wife was in the Maldives between March 26 and April 9 that year.

Immigration records also showed that Zahir’s wife did not travel on Emirates Airlines at all in 2008. The ACC discovered that she had arrived in the Maldives on a British charter flight from First Choice Airways.

The commission therefore asked the PGO to prosecute the former police chief for abuse of authority and embezzlement.

A senior officer of the now-defunct National Security Service (NSS), Zahir became the first Commissioner of Police when former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom established the Maldives Police Service as a civilian law enforcement agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

During the reform movement led by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Zahir was accused of overseeing torture and custodial abuse, making his resignation a perennial opposition demand.

He resigned in November 2008 after the election of President Mohamed Nasheed.

Wikileaks cables from the American Embassy in Colombo meanwhile revealed that the former police chief was seen as part of the “old guard” opposed to political reforms under President Gayoom.

In December 2005, Sri Lankan police raided the Colombo office of the then MDP-affiliated Minivan News publication upon request from the Maldivian authorities, which alleged that Minivan staff were engaged in seditious activities and gun-running.

“In a December 29 meeting with poloff [political officer], an American contractor who works with law enforcement officials in Colombo said that his police contacts informed him the request for the investigation had been signed by Maldivian Chief of Police Adam Zahir and sent to the Interpol Liaison Desk. The contractor said the Sri Lankan police suspected  the charges were politically motivated, but were compelled to  follow up because of their serious nature,” the cable read.

In January 2006, former Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed – part of the ‘New Maldives’ group of young ministers associated with Gayoom’s reform package – told the US Embassy political officer that the raid on the Minivan office was “utterly shameful.”

“Shaheed expressed  concern that the raid undermined the ‘New Maldives’ agenda he and several other reform-minded ministers are promoting. Describing the police chief as ‘someone we are at war with,’  Shaheed added that he had encouraged the president to shift  Zahir from his current position,” reads the cable.

In 2006, reformist magazine Adduvas exposed a number of MPs and regime officials who had taken soft loans from former President Gayoom, including Zahir, who had obtained loans totalling MVR8.7 million (US$677,000).

In August 2009, Zahir was summoned to the presidential commission set up by former President Nasheed to investigate allegations of corruption and misappropriation of state funds under the former regime.

At a ceremony on March 29 this year to commemorate the 80th anniversary of police, Zahir was awarded a special plaque by President Dr Mohamed Waheed “in remembrance of his dedicated and invaluable services rendered to MPS.”

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Former immigration controller pleads not guilty to corruption charges

Former Controller of Immigration and current State Minister for Defence Sheikh Ilyas Hussain pleaded not guilty to corruption charges at the Criminal Court on Wednesday (April 10).

Ilyas – brother-in-law of President Dr Mohamed Waheed – was charged with abuse of authority to benefit a third party in awarding a contract to Malaysia-based mobile security firm Nexbis to establish a border control system (BCS).

At the first hearing of the trial, Ilyas’ lawyer requested 30 days to study the evidence presented against the ex-controller. Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed reportedly granted the defence counsel’s request.

Ilyas is accused of omitting from the concession agreement clauses that required Nexbis to provide 29 scholarships and 200,000 identity cards free of charge. The clauses were in the original technical proposal submitted by Nexbis to the tender evaluation board.

If convicted, the state minister could face either a jail term of up to three years, banishment or house arrest.

The case against Ilyas was forwarded to the PGO in December 2011 by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). In September 2012, the ACC informed parliament’s Finance Committee that the BSC agreement would cost the Maldives MVR 2.5 billion (US$162 million) in potential lost revenue over the lifetime of the contract.

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Police and ACC probe MP Ali Waheed’s corruption case

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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