Authorities are yet to recover the funds stolen in the biggest corruption scandal in the country’s history recorded during former President Abdulla Yameen’s tenure, the Maldives Police Service (MPS) has revealed.

Responding to questions posed during the meeting held by the Parliament’s Financial Committee on Sunday, Assistant Commissioner of Police Mohamed Riyaz revealed that officers, with the help of the Presidential Inquiry Commission on Asset Recovery, are working to recover the funds stolen from the state.

Revealing that they have retrieved much of the information on the matter, Riyaz said that they are yet to receive any of the funds through cash or by freezing a specific bank account.

Further, the Assistant Police Commissioner said that Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) had leased islands in accordance with article five of the Maldives Tourism Act which states that “islands and land for development as tourist resorts shall be leased to the party that submits the best-qualified bid in respect of such islands or land in accordance with pre-established procedures in a public tender held by the Ministry of Tourism. Islands or land in which the Government makes an investment wholly or in joint venture shall be exempted from the procedure provided herein.”

As such, all procedures were carried out within a specific time frame, he revealed.

Also during the committee meeting, police revealed that ownership rights for 30 islands leased under the scandal have been registered to 10 individual so far.

However, they said that they will only be able to reveal further details regarding the individuals once they complete investigations. If they divulge further details, Riyaz said that they investigations will be hindered.

Further, Riyaz said that they hadn’t discovered the cheques for the acquisition cost of some of the said islands, adding that some of the money paid as acquisition cost had never entered any state accounts.

Noting that there were some who had misappropriated funds that were taken through promissory cheques in order to purchase dollars from government companies alongside the leasing of islands, Riyaz stressed that the scandal was a pre-planned scheme.