Malé mayor says council audit findings sent to ACC, police

Malé Mayor Adam Azim on Thursday said he would not protect any individual involved in the misuse of public property or funds, stating that completed audits of the Malé City Council have been forwarded to relevant authorities.

Speaking at a campaign event in Hulhumalé, Azim said internal audits conducted during his term have identified issues that have now been referred to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the police. He said further action would be taken once investigations proceed.

Azim’s remarks follow accusations that alleged corruption during the tenure of President Mohamed Muizzu as mayor of Malé has not been investigated. President Muizzu has previously denied allegations of wrongdoing.

Critics, including Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) mayoral candidate Ali Azim, have claimed that Azim has failed to pursue investigations or has sought to conceal alleged irregularities.

Responding to these claims, Azim said two internal audits have now been completed, although he did not disclose details of the findings.

“Some of our audits have already been completed. The cases identified have been sent to the Anti-Corruption Commission, and the City Council has also forwarded matters to the police,” he said.

He added that not all actions are publicly announced and that referrals may not always be immediately visible.

“I am not someone who discredits others publicly. When documents are prepared, independent auditors refer matters for investigation. Once that is done, the process continues independently,” Azim said.

He said he would not allow any individual found to have misused public funds or property to avoid accountability.

“If I know someone has taken people’s money or property unlawfully, I will not allow it to pass without action,” he said.

Some political parties have raised concerns that the Malé City Council had not been audited since its establishment. Azim said the ongoing audits address those concerns.