ACC says it doesn’t discriminate when investigating complaints

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) does not discriminate when investigating complaints filed with the commission, says President of ACC, Hassan Luthufy in response to allegations of discrimination.

Luthufy made the comment during the opening ceremony of ACC’s National Conference this Wednesday at Islamic University of Maldives.

Speaking during the ceremony, Luthufy said that organizations which investigate corruption are under intense scrutiny not just in Maldives, but across the world.

He refuted allegations that ACC prioritized investigations into suspected wrongdoings by opposition politicians to benefit the government.

“Some parties have always voiced allegations about us turning a blind eye to cases against certain individuals, rejecting certain cases and lack of consequences. But I proudly say we have investigated and completed more cases than what has been filed with ACC so far this year. ACC does not discriminate in its work. There hasn’t been any differentiation between a person of higher station or a person of lower station,” said Luthufy.

He said that ACC had faced criticism for both allegedly singling out of opposition politicians and for investigating government offices.

“We also sometimes face criticism when ACC’s staff or ACC’s teams visit government offices to follow up on complaints filed against such offices, or summon government employees for questioning,” said Luthufy.

Luthufy said ACC needed to be strong enough to listen to such criticism, and vowed the commission would not back down from investigating anyone.

Luthufy stressed in his speech that ACC was not a law enforcement agency. He said the responsibility of the commission to investigate corruption, but that the authority to charge suspects lay with the Prosecutor General’s Office.

“If they decide to prosecute, the case will be sent by PG’s Office to the courts. It will be the courts that look into cases of corruption that are prosecuted and decide whether the charged are guilty or not,” said Luthufy.

Luthufy said the journey from investigation to sentencing was a long process. And that some of the cases are not proven in court.

He said ACC was working with the Attorney General’s Office to obtain the money in cases the State wins.