Maldives' central bank denies withdrawing any money-laundering cases

Maldives central bank’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has denied withdrawing any money-laundering cases filed at the police, mere hours after President Abdulla Yameen’s spokesperson claimed that the case against the president ‘has been withdrawn’.

Following a detailed report by Al Jazeera on Tuesday, Ibrahim Muaz Ali said that the President had clarified the matter with Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA)’s governor.

Noting that the governor had told the president that the case was filed without his knowledge, Muaz claimed that ‘the case has since been withdrawn’.

However, at a press briefing later in the evening, MMA’s media officer Mohamed Naasih announced that while its FIU has filed a total of 137 money-laundering related cases since establishment, none of the letters or documents filed at state institutions ‘have been withdrawn’.

He added that MMA is only tasked with establishing a budget for the unit, and other administrative matters.

While the Financial Intelligence Unit was created under article 27 of the prevention of money laundering and financing of terrorism act in 2014, article 30 notes that it ‘shall have independent decision-making authority over matters within its responsibility and autonomy over the use of its budget’.