PG drops MMPRC-linked charges against ex-AG Azima

The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) has withdrawn the charges filed against former Attorney General Aishath Azima Shakoor in relation to the MMPRC corruption scandal.

In February 2019, the state brought two charges against Azima, who served as Legal Affairs Minister during the administration of former President Abdulla Yameen. The charges were:

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the PGO said it decided to discontinue the case after Azima submitted a request for review.

The office said the decision followed a Supreme Court ruling that overturned the Criminal Court’s 2019 judgment concerning the alleged money laundering scheme linked to the lease of GA. Vodamula, a case in which Yameen had been convicted.

“As the Supreme Court has acquitted Aishath Azima Shakoor of the underlying money laundering offence, this office has decided not to pursue these charges further, as there does not appear to be an interest in continuing,” the statement read.

The PGO also noted that it had previously withdrawn charges against Krik Riza, who had been accused of acting as an intermediary in the alleged MMPRC transactions. Riza had faced charges of money laundering and facilitating the transfer of bribes.

Yameen remains charged with accepting bribes and money laundering.

Yameen’s defence team had earlier raised concerns regarding the withdrawal of the case against Riza, arguing that the alleged bribe giver’s case should not be discontinued while the former president’s case remained active.

Azima contested last year’s Male mayoral election on a PNC ticket and currently serves as a family lawyer for President Mohamed Muizzu.