Youth Minister Ahmed Mahloof and state minister at the planning ministry, Akram Kamaaludeen, have been ordered to stay home following the corruption watchdog’s report regarding the biggest corruption scandal in the country’s history.
While the order was issued by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih himself, they are to stay home until the investigations conclude.
Tweeting this, Mahloof said this he "respects" the president's decision.
According to the report released on Thursday, Mahloof received USD 33,000 from Scores of Flair (SOF)- the private company used to launder millions from the state-owned Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC)- while Akram is to have received USD 30,000.
State minister Akram via twitter said that he respects the president's decision "to suspend official duties of political detainees," adding that it is "a matter of immediate urgency that the authorities expedite the investigations and inform the public about its findings."
I respect the decision by President @Ibusolih to suspend official duties of Political appointees in relation to the transactions reported by the ACC. It is a matter of immediate urgency that the authorities expedite the investigations and inform the public about its findings.
— Akram Kamaludeen (@Akramkdeen) February 14, 2019
Minister Mahloof also released a statement shortly after the report was publicized, denying any wrongdoing.
Claiming that it was a foreign exchange transaction, Mahloof said that the transaction took place on 31 August 2014. He said that it was done while his family was running a fashion outlet in the capital, The Jeans, and was conducted by his younger brother Ali Mubeen. Mahloof added that the reason the money was deposited to his account was because The Jeans “did not have a dollar account.”
The minister also attached copies of the transaction receipt, as well as letters to and from the ACC, to his tweet. However, RaajjeMV has learnt that SOF was not authorized for foreign exchange transactions at the time.
While the receipt shows that the USD 33,000 was deposited in exchange for MVR 508, 860, the exchange rate is MVR 15.42 without any interests.
Mahloof further asked the Commission to investigate the matter, adding that he will resign immediately if found guilty.
A number of prominent figures, including lawmakers and businessmen, are implicated in the MMPRC embezzlement, according to the report by ACC.
While the report was publicized on Thursday, it was written in July 2017.
