
PG cancels immunity deals with Adeeb, SOF chiefs over MMPRC graft
The MMPRC corruption case involves the large-scale embezzlement of funds during the administration of former President Abdulla Yameen.
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The Prosecutor General's Office (PG) has announced Sunday that it is canceling the agreement signed with former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb and others accused, as part of the investigation into the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) corruption case.
The decision comes as part of an ongoing effort to ensure that those involved in the scandal are held accountable and that the lost funds are recovered.
The MMPRC corruption case involves the large-scale embezzlement of funds during the administration of former President Abdulla Yameen.
A significant amount of money from the lease of islands and lagoons was deposited into private company SOF’s account, with funds subsequently funneled to various individuals and used for numerous illicit purposes. The funds were linked to multiple high-ranking officials, including former Vice President Adeeb, and the SOF leadership.
The account associated with SOF was frozen in 2020 but was released in 2022. Despite the complexities surrounding the case, the government at the time pursued a deal with Adeeb and the SOF leaders, contingent on their cooperation with the investigation. The agreement was intended to help recover the lost money and provide critical evidence for the investigation of the MMPRC fraud case.
In a statement released Sunday, the Prosecutor General's Office explained the rationale for terminating the agreement. The main purpose of the deals had been to secure cooperation from those involved in the investigation and to recover the misappropriated funds. However, with the conclusion of their cooperation and other related investigations, the PG has decided to end the agreement.
“The agreements were formulated to seek cooperation in the investigation of the MMPRC corruption case and to recover the money lost to the state,” the PG stated. “With the termination of the agreements, the police and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) have been instructed to submit the relevant investigation documents concerning these individuals to the Prosecutor General as soon as possible.”
Ahmed Adeeb, once a powerful figure in the Maldives, was sentenced to 20 years in prison following a plea agreement in which he cooperated with authorities on the MMPRC case.
However, Adeeb was granted amnesty by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih just five days before the end of his presidency. The amnesty allowed him to leave the Maldives, despite having served only a portion of his sentence.
Along with Adeeb, former Managing Director Abdulla Ziyath also had his sentence reduced under Solih's amnesty, sparking significant political controversy.
Critics argue that Solih’s actions undermined the integrity of the legal process and fell short of his promises to fully investigate the MMPRC corruption case and recover the stolen state assets. The decision to pardon Adeeb and Ziyathu has been condemned, with some political parties accusing Solih of not fulfilling his campaign pledges.
Solih, who came to power in 2018, had pledged to investigate the corruption surrounding the MMPRC and ensure the return of the funds to the state.