The People's Majlis have voted to remove those suspected of corruption in the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) corruption case, with main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) having issued an ambiguous first "two-line whip" for the vote.
With the two-line whip, MDP will be declining to take action against MPs even if they vote against the party's position on the issue. This is the first time main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has issued a two-line whip, which will demand that all MPs attend the vote, with MPs not required to vote for a specific position and no action to be taken against them based on their vote as in a three-line whip.
MDP had released the two-line whip after the Joint Parliament Committee on National Security Services and Judiciary had submitted a report to parliament reviewing delays in investigating the MMPRC grand corruption case. The party had earlier released a clear-cut three-line whip to remove ex-Minister of Communications Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal from office, but chose a much more ambiguous two-line instruction on Wednesday, at a time four sitting MPs from MDP in the 19th People's Majlis are currently named as suspects in the MMPRC corruption suspects list.
Leader of the MDP parliamentary group and MP for Central-Henveiru constituency Ali Azim, MP for Mulaku constituency Ibrahim Naseer, MP for Maradhoo constituency Ibrahim Shareef and MP for Kendhikulhudhoo constituency Ahmed Easa were named in the list publicized by parliament earlier.
The Joint Parliament Committee's report on investigation delays had reviewed instances where those suspected of MMPRC corruption were employed in national security services, independent institutions, the judiciary, parliament and the cabinet. With 119 suspects named in the MMPRC list currently holding public office in this way, the committee had urged swift review of these cases as they could easily influence the investigations.
During Wednesday's sitting of parliament, 45 members had voted unanimously to pass the joint committee's report on delays in investigating the MMPRC corruption case, based around 281 persons of interest identified by the Asset Recovery Commission, Anti-Corruption Commission and Maldives Police Service (MPS).
The eight recommendations in the report by the Joint Parliament Committee on National Security Services, as passed by the People's Majlis on Wednesday, read as follows;
1. Urges the Presidential Commission on Corruption and Asset Recovery to speed up investigations in the MMPRC case, as those suspected identified hold positions of authority in the government that would allow them to learn and obstruction investigations
2. Requesting that the Anti-Corruption Commission allow full access to resources for those employees of the commission reviewing MMPRC corruption in the Joint Investigation
3. Calling for relevant authorities to reclaim assets or their equivalent in finances stolen by MMPRC corruption suspects, and to have the parliament be regularly appraised of progress in asset recovery
4. Recommends taking any and all action possible against MMPRC corruption suspects, including removing those suspects currently in public office from positions until the investigation concludes
5. Keeping in mind that elected officials can only be removed from public office through a court order or voluntary resignation, requests swift investigations on behalf of the Presidential Commission on Corruption and Asset Recovery
6. Emphasizes the importance of unbiased protocols by investigative institutions in conducting financial investigations and calls for further strengthening of procedures
7. Noting an uptick in the instance of financial crimes, recommends training professionals in financial investigation and providing them with adequate resources to conduct investigations, in addition to calling for government institutions to take steps to fortify investigative bodies
8. Encourages banks and government institutions to provide information required for MMPRC corruption reinvestigation, and to provide support to the investigation process as obligated by the law
Of those sitting MPs named in the MMPRC corruption suspects list, only leader of the MDP parliamentary group and MP for Central-Henveiru constituency Ali Azim participated in the vote to pass the committee report on the case. 16 sitting members of parliament elected to the 19th People's Majlis were named in the MMPRC corruption suspects list as received by the Joint Parliament Commission on National Security Services and Judiciary.
