Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Ahmed Mahloof has been allowed to contest in the internal elections of main ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

This was decided during a meeting held between the MDP council of appellate judges on Wednesday.

This was decided by the council as the decision regarding the unmet criteria of candidacy received no response from Elections Commission (EC), after being appealed.

Mahloof stated that his complaint submitted to the committee saw no response, therefore he had submitted a complaint to EC, the parent authority of all political parties, 30 days prior to elections.

Mahloof expressed his concerns over his unanswered complaints, saying that he believes there are discriminatory aspects in play.

MDP had barred the sports minister from competing in the internal elections, stating that he did not meet the criteria to compete. MDP's Elections Complaints Committee had revealed that the requirements to compete in the election enlighten that a candidate must not be one facing action requested by the Anti-Corruption Commission linked to the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) corruption scandal. As ACC has sought charges against Mahloof, he is disqualified from contesting.

ACC is seeking criminal charges against the minister in relation to the MMPRC corruption scandal. While Mahloof is among the many people who are to have benefitted in the largest corruption scandal in the country’s history, ACC had completed its investigation into Mahloof’s case and forwarded the case for prosecution in June. He was suspended until a PG Office reaches a decision on the matter.

Mahloof, who previously said he will resign if charges were raised, recently threatened that the government "will be exposed" if his case goes to trial.

ACC said that there is evidence to believe that the USD 33,000 transferred to Mahloof’s account through SoF –the company used to funnel funds from the state- in August 2014 was a bribe by then Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb, to vote in favor of the government’s SEZ bill. ACC said that Mahloof had returned from Malaysia to take part in the SEZ bill vote after the funds were transferred to his account.

ACC said that after cross-checking the dates and exchanges between Mahloof and Adeeb following the vote, that the investigation shows that Adeeb had given the USD 33,000 to Mahloof as a bribe. Mahloof, who at the time of the transaction was a lawmaker aligned with then ruling Progressive Party of Maldives led by then President Abdulla Yameen, said that he had merely voted as per a three-line whip issued by the party.

The minister denies the accusations, and claimed that he is "being made a sacrificial lamb".