Monday
23rd Dec 2024
Dhivehi Edition
Prosecutor General Hussein Shameem.
Only 17 cases had been sent for prosecution by the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO), out of the several cases stemming from the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) graft.
The MMPRC graft has been labelled as one of the biggest grafts in the country’s history. Millions remain unaccounted for, from the sale of islands for resort development.
During the campaigning for 2018 Presidential elections, then-candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and several other coalition partners had vowed to investigate, prosecute the perpetrators, and recover the millions unaccounted for. He had formed an Asset Recovery Commission, a few days after he was sworn into office. The Commission was disbanded this year, with no results to show for it.
TMJ had petitioned PGO to divulge the details of MMPRC related cases investigated and sent for prosecution. Based on the details shared with TMJ, we can see that only 17 cases were sent for prosecution after a fully fleshed out investigation.
Out of the cases submitted to PGO for prosecution, one case was dismissed. PGO had opted not to prosecute in four more cases.
The 17 cases, PGO said, involved 34 respondents, while 20 respondents were named in the 12 cases that were to be prosecuted. So far, courts have issued sentences on five cases.
PGO further divulged that seven cases were currently being tried.
The Government had been at the receiving end of a lot of criticisms over the slow progression of these cases and the now-defunct Asset Recovery Commission.