Minister of Homeland Security Calls for Criminal Probe into Former Officials Over Expatriate System Negligence

Minister of Homeland Security Ali Ihsan has announced that he will submit a request to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for a criminal investigation into senior officials of the previous administration, citing negligence in a matter that could have benefited the state.

The Minister made this statement while responding to a no-confidence motion submitted against him in the People’s Majlis. Addressing allegations regarding the expatriate system, which is central to the motion, Ihsan presented evidence and emphasized that failure to act on a matter with potential state benefits constitutes grounds for a criminal probe under Article 517 of the Penal Code.

“After finishing this session today, I will submit to ACC requesting a criminal investigation under Article 517 against all senior officials of the previous government, as mentioned by honorable members, for negligence regarding all these letters and causing loss to the state in a matter that could have been beneficial,” Ihsan stated.

The Minister highlighted that the expatriate system was first introduced 12 years ago, and the work remained ongoing when President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s government took office in 2023. He referenced a 2019 letter from Malaysia's Bestinet company to Maldives Immigration, claiming a $13.7 million investment and seeking to proceed with the agreement. Ihsan noted that Immigration had sought legal advice from the then Attorney General, raising concerns about potential financial liabilities.

He further stated that the previous government had terminated the agreement due to inaction and had moved the matter to the Settlement Committee. Refuting claims that the state had lost MVR 500 million due to the government’s handling of the issue, he asserted that revenue from the system had increased from MVR 700 million to MVR 1.3 billion under the current administration.