Failure to probe MMPRC case shared responsibility, says Zariyand

Former President Abdulla Yameen should not be held solely responsible for the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) corruption case, as the subsequent government with full authority to investigate the matter failed to do so, Ismail Zariyand said on Monday.

Zariyand, who is contesting the Malé mayoral election with the endorsement of the People’s National Front (PNF), said responsibility for the case cannot be limited to Yameen alone. Zariyand has previously been among the critics of Yameen during the MMPRC scandal.

In remarks made during an interview on Channel 13, Zariyand addressed earlier social media posts in which he criticised Yameen. Those posts have recently circulated online, shared by activists of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

Zariyand said he stands by the comments he made at the time, adding that he had called for a full investigation into all those involved and for the recovery of state funds. He said his earlier references to Yameen were framed as accusations rather than conclusions.

“I used the wording I thought was appropriate at the time. There was no reason to remove or deny what I said,” he said.

Zariyand said that following the change of government in 2018, a coalition administration took office with a stated commitment to investigate the MMPRC case. He noted that a presidential commission was established under former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih with the authority to examine the matter.

However, he said the investigation did not progress despite the mandate given to the commission.

“At that point, I realised that the MMPRC case would not be investigated further,” Zariyand said.

He said this conclusion was reinforced by the absence of findings from the Anti-Corruption Commission and by statements made during a police press conference, which he said did not address the corruption allegations in substance.

Zariyand said that although accusations were made against senior officials and members of parliament at the time, public attention remained focused on Yameen.

Referring to remarks by former Deputy Commissioner of Police Mohamed Riyaz, Zariyand said the issue also involved individuals linked to the government and parliament in power at the time.

Without naming former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, Zariyand said he believed the MMPRC case represented a significant instance of corruption originating from a single office.

Zariyand also spoke about his decision to join the Democrats after leaving the MDP, saying it followed dissatisfaction over what he described as inaction on investigating the attempted assassination of former President Mohamed Nasheed.

“I joined the Democrats on my own decision, not at the request of former President Nasheed,” he said.