Yameen criticises govt, ACC over handling of graft cases

Former President Abdulla Yameen has accused the government and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of failing to take action on corruption cases and recover public funds.

Speaking at a rally organised by his People’s National Front (PNF) on Thursday, Yameen said the public continues to face hardship due to the state’s inability to retrieve money lost through corruption. He claimed that both political leaders and successive governments speak about corruption without genuine intent to address it.

“People are suffering only because the corruption money is lost and not recovered,” Yameen said. “People don’t necessarily want to punish anyone either.”

He added that the state's financial difficulties could have been avoided if lost public funds had been recovered. According to Yameen, corruption is a long-standing issue that cannot be resolved unless governments are willing to confront it directly.

“At the same time, we have to work to recover the lost money. [Governments] don’t want to do that. And especially this government,” he said.

Yameen alleged that there is no active investigation of corruption within the current administration. He also criticised the functioning of the ACC, saying it was not accessible to the public and had failed to investigate corruption cases during his presidency.

“There would be no corruption case during my administration that would not be investigated,” Yameen claimed, referencing former ACC commissioner Lutfi, who he said did not require clearance from the President’s Office to proceed with investigations.

Yameen also addressed his own legal situation, noting that charges against him in the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) corruption case remain before the courts.

“I haven’t gone yet, have I? Aren’t I in Maldives? When something like this happens to other presidents, who doesn’t go abroad crying when they come to trial? I am here,” he said.