ACC Requested to Investigate STO MD Amr's Property Purchase

An individual has requested Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to investigate whether an act of corruption was involved in Managing Director of State Trading Organization (STO) Hussain Amr acquiring a large property in Male'.

Dhiyares has received a copy of the letter presented to ACC.

The letter read that while Amr is an executive for a state-owned enterprise, the sudden purchase of a large property in Male' has aroused suspicion among the public.

The letter clearly dictates number (2) of Article 515 (a) of the Constitution, which states that it is a crime for an employee of state possessing an amount of money or goods inequivalent to the income that was received or is receiving, under the control of a family, personal, or business account.

Additionally, the letter claimed that the salary for the Managing Director of STO is MVR 98,000, and the only possibility of acquiring MVR 8.4 million would be to collect the same salary for seven consecutive years. The individual also claimed that although Amr's family owns two restaurants, the businesses could not have raised such an amount as all restaurants in Male' have been suffering for the past year and a half.

ACC was requested to investigate the matter under the Prevention and Prohibition of Corruption Act, under suspicion of corruption in Amr's transaction.

Amr purchased G.Violet, the land that belonged to the long-serving contributor of the government An-Nabeela Habeeba Hussain Habeeb. The Civil Court order stated that the house had an area of 1183.7ft², enlisted all the buildings and goods on the property, and read that ownership of the land has been transferred to Hussain Amr Mohamed Rashaad of Hahdhunmathi, Gaafu Atoll, as he has purchased the land for MVR 8.4 million.

The summary report of the court order declared that the MVR 8.4 million was received by Habeeba Hussain Habeeb.

Prior to COVID-19, Amr's salary was MVR 100,000. Amr would have been able to purchase the land for MVR 8.4 million after seven interrupted years of collecting a monthly salary of MVR 100,000. Although he previously had barely any wealth to his name, Amr has suddenly become unusually wealthy after his appointment as Managing Director of STO. He now owns an expensive car with a domain and an expensive watch.