Speaker of Parliament, Former President Mohamed Nasheed has stated that he does not see the point in forming a specific committee to take on the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) embezzlement case

MP for Kaashidhoo constituency, Abdulla Jabir had addressed a letter to the speaker, seeking to form a separate committee specifically to handle the MMPRC graft case, the biggest such case recorded in the country’s history.

Responding to the letter, Nasheed revealed that there is a committee tasked with the case and that the establishment of another committee for the case which is currently being investigated by the Presidential Inquiry Commission on Corruption and Asset Recovery, is out of question.

In his letter, Jabir expressed that he does not believe the officers and Prosecutor General who previously looked into the case as well, re-launching investigations into the case will make much of a difference or bring justice to those seeking it.

Bisham revealed during a committee meeting in October that a number of senior government officials and parliamentarians are being investigated in the MMPRC case of graft. Further details have since been revealed by the Presidential inquiry commission on Corruption and State Recovery, identities were however, not disclosed.

44 members from the 18th parliament, 16 members from the 19th parliament, five heads of independent institutions, seven officials from the incumbent administration, 23 officials from the previous administration, six judges and seven security service officers are to have received funds from the MMPRC graft.

MMPRC’s graft case saw the misappropriation of MVR 1.4 billion (US$90 million) through state coffers into private accounts involving senior government officials. However, the presidential commission had recently revealed that the amount reaches MVR three billion.

In October, Maldives Police Service (MPS) launched a probe into the involvement of police officers in the embezzlement case as well.