Athif sent summons by Public Finance Committee

Former Head of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), Ibrahim Athif Shakoor has been sent summons for questioning by the Public Finance Committee of Parliament.

Athif has shared the summons, signed by Secretary-General of the Parliament, Fathimath Niusha, on his Twitter account.

“Have been looking for the opportunity to account for the 7 months I served as Head of The FIU before I resigned in June 2015. I intend to be honest and forthright,” wrote Athif.

Have been looking for the opportunity to account for the 7 months I served as Head of The FIU before I resigned in June 2015
I intend to be honest and forthright. pic.twitter.com/OTlIdgdhxK

— Athif Shakoor (@AthifShakoor) February 20, 2019

Athif has been summoned to the Public Finance Committee at 2:30 pm on February 26.

The summons reads that the committee members wished to question Athif as he had been serving as Head of the FIU during the period when the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) embezzlement and money laundering case took place.

Speaking to Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) during its investigation into the MMPRC came, Athif said the FIU had flagged the transactions from SOF Private Limited to multiple bank accounts and prepared a Suspicious Financial Report on the transactions which the unit shared with the Governor of MMA at the time, Dr. Azeema Adam, along with its recommendation that the transactions required further investigation.

He said that Dr. Azeema refused to lodge the case with Maldives Police Service, and instead took the issue of understaffing at the unit.

FIU is an independent unit within the MMA which is charged with flagging suspicious transactions involving money laundering and funding for terrorist activities, and bringing such cases to the attention of investigative authorities.

ACC has lodged a case with the Prosecutor General’s Office for charges against several heads of MMA for suspected involvement in the MMPRC case. The identities of the heads have not been disclosed.