MMA leadership still filled with those involved in MMPRC graft: ex-governor

Ahmed Naseer, who resigned as Governor of the Maldives Monetary Authority on Wednesday, has said that the central bank’s leadership is still filled with those that were involved in the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations (MMPRC) embezzlement.

In a statement released hours after his resignation was reported, Naseer said that these individuals are now trying to put the blame on him.

He, along with other senior officials of MMA were questioned by the parliament’s independent institutions’ committee on Tuesday, including former head of Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) Abdulla Ashraf, who accused the governor of influencing the unit’s work.

In his statement, Naseer denied interfering in its work but noted that as governor he had the responsibility of ensuring the productivity of the Financial Intelligence Unit “which falls under the Maldives Monetary Authority.” He said that it was his responsibility to take action against those against those found careless in their work, adding that he did so under the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Act.

He further said that embezzlement took place “way before” his appointment as governor, and that he had conducted an internal review report of the authority after taking over.

Naseer said that this report highlights that then-governor as well as MMA and FIU senior officials “had not acted the most responsibly” in the MMPRC, adding that investigations “have proven this.”

He also said that those noted as criminal acts in the report were forwarded to the Maldives Police Service in March this year, and that “if a fair investigation is conducted, [police] will find enough evidence to take action against those responsible.”

Naseer’s statement also highlighted it was the current leadership that was at the central bank when the MVR 1.3 billion was stolen from the state, and that then-tourism minister had met with this leadership “separately” a suspicious number of times.

He added that “this can be seen from MMA’s records.”

Emphasizing the importance of finding the truth behind the biggest corruption case in the country’s history, Naseer said there are some people “within the government” that do not want this.

He further said that he decided to resign as governor as he did not want the allegations against him to affect the post.

He said that him resigning and facing the allegations will be the best for him, as well as the Maldives Monetary Authority.