Report: MVR 10M used in payouts to dismiss Faiz, Muthasim

The Anti-Corruption Commission’s investigative report on the MMPRC embezzlement case reveals MVR 10 million in embezzled funds were used in possible payouts to lawmakers in the no-confidence vote taken at the Parliament to dismiss two top judges in 2014.

The Parliament took the no-confidence vote and dismissed then-Chief Justice Ahmed Faiz Hussain and then-Supreme Court Judge Muthasim Adnan on December 14, 2014.

53 lawmakers voted in favor of their dismissal.

In an interview to ACC’s investigators, Abdulla Rafiu from Ma. Shady Cabin in Male’ City said then-Vice President and Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor called him on the night of December 13, 2014 and asked him to arrange for MVR 10 million by 9 am of December 14, 2014.

Rafiu said he arranged for the money as instructed and Adeeb provided him further instructions to take the money to an office located on the sixth floor of a building in front of Fantasy Bakery and hand it over to Mohamed Hussain (Oittey).

“Abdulla Rafiu said he had no knowledge of what the money was for at the time, but that he realized the Parliament was scheduled to hold a no-confidence vote on two Supreme Court judges the next day. Abdulla Rafiu said he believed he was asked to arrange for the money by 9 am to finance something which was taking place ahead of the Parliament sitting,” wrote ACC in its report.

Rafiu, in his statement to the investigators, claimed he was not privy to the identified of the lawmakers who the many was paid out to.