5-member sub-committee set up to probe corruption

People’s Majlis Public Finance Committee has made the decision to create a five-member sub-committee to investigate Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) corruption scandal and other corruption cases sent to Finance Committee.

Speaking during Finance Committee meeting held on Wednesday due to an issue raised by Kinbidhoo MP Abdulla Riyaz, members said that the Committee did not need to wait to investigate a case until an issue was raised with the Committee by a particular member.

Therefore, all members present at the meeting unanimously voted on investigating all corruption issues raised with the Committee.

And a five-member sub-committee was selected for the task.

Five-member sub-committee includes:

• Maradhoo MP Ibrahim Shareef (MDP)

• Vilufushi MP Riyaz Rasheed (PPM)

• Kaashidhoo MP Faisal Naseem

• Kudahuvadhoo MP Ahmed Amir (MDA)

• Feydhoo MP Ibrahim Didi (PPM)

Leader of Public Finance Committee, Vilimale’ MP Ahmed Nihan Hussein Manik provided the committee members with the opportunity to speak their minds about the issue.

Using the opportunity provided, Maradhoo MP Ibrahim Shareef said that said the corruption cases needed to be settled transparently, and that Public Finance Committee was entrusted with a huge responsibility, and that therefore, the work of the committee also needed to be conducted transparently.

MP Shareef said that they needed to identify whether money that needed to go into a government company or institution was not going where it was supposed to due to State financial institutions or due to a loophole in the law. And that all measures necessary in order to ensure such an issue does not take place again needs to be taken.

“Bigger corruption cases have taken place in the country. FPID corruption issue is far bigger than MMPRC corruption scandal. But I steadfastly say that though no one was incriminated in the case due to measures taken by us [People’s Majlis], though no one was sent to an investigative authority due to concern over national security; we made sure that money lost from our citizens were saved,” he said.

Vilufushi MP Riyaz Rasheed said that no government member would want to avoid having the MMPRC corruption case investigated.

“Corruption cases will come up during every administration. But the sad thing is, no government leader dares to investigate corruption issues during his administration,” he said.

Government members brought up corruption cases during former President Mohamed Nasheed’s administration, and said that such cases needed to be discussed even now.