ACC ordered to probe Solih, Fayyaz and Shiyam over MVR 1bn in settlements

The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) has directed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to conduct a criminal investigation against top officials in the previous administration, including former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, in connection to settlement agreements signed with contractors worth around MVR 1 billion.

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) administration, which held office from 2018-2023, awarded over MVR 1.6 billion in settlements to private companies.

These settlement agreements were the subject of an inquiry by the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee. The committee found the settlement agreements had been unlawful, and recommended criminal investigations against three former top government officials; Solih, former economic minister Fayyaz Ismail, and Ali Shiyam, a former minister at the President’s Office. The inquiry report was passed by the Parliament on December 12.

In a statement on Sunday morning, the PGO said the committee had shared its findings with the office on December 12. The office noted that the report highlights suspicions that top state officials had unfairly awarded state funds and assets to those who were not entitled to it, and involves allegations state officials had acted in violation of their official duties and acted in a manner damaging to the state.

The PGO said it found the ACC has the jurisdiction to investigation the findings highlighted in the committee’s report, and directed the commission to conduct a criminal investigation into the case on December 17.

“The commission was also instructed to conduct a speedy investigation and discuss updates with this office as the investigation progresses,” added the PGO.

In response to the passage of the inquiry report, the Attorney General’s Office declared on December 19 that nine settlement agreements signed during the MDP administration were invalid, and informed relevant state agencies not to enforce the agreements.

The settlements were awarded through a settlement committee established by the MDP administration to review and provide compensation over cancelled government contracts.

The committee was dissolved by incumbent president Dr. Mohamed Muizzu in November last year, declaring that he found “illicit compensation payments using taxpayer money unacceptable.”