Case accusing ACC members of misusing official authority, lodged at police
18 އޯގަސްޓު 2020 | އަންގާރަ 11:32A private individual filed the complaint against ACC members
ACC members with President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
A case has been lodged at the Maldives Police Service (MPS), against members of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
A private party filed the complaint against ACC members, accusing them of misusing their official authority to reach a decision in a case it recently investigated, in a particular manner.
The case in question involves former Chief of Defense Force Ahmed Shiyam who is accused of using a VIP facility established in Villimalé for the matters involving the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF), for personal purposes.
As such, Shiyam had accommodated his sickly father at the VIP facility for over a year and six months where he was served by MNDF officers.
The letter addressed to police notes that Shiyam would not have had the opportunity to use the facility for his personal benefit, if he wasn’t serving as Chief of Defense Force and that the VIP facility was used at a time the authority had not even formed a policy to use the facility.
In this regard, the letter noted that ACC having closed the case in Shiyam’s favor, after finding no wrongdoing, is an act of using influence to grant undue benefits for Shiyam.
According to the anti-corruption laws of the Maldives, it is illegal to use state property for personal purposes or benefits.
This, the letter noted is an offence under Article 513 (b) of the Penal Code, which states that a person commits the offense of misusing official authority if they use or influence official authority in their capacity as a public official and for the purpose of obtaining a benefit for themselves or another person to which they are not entitled.
While the offense is graded as a class 4 felony, the private individual has sought from the police to conduct a thorough investigation and take the required measures against the anti-corruption watchdog.
Speaking to RaajjeMV regarding the matter, police revealed that they received the letter on Tuesday and that the required information regarding police efforts in connection to the case has been shared with the individual.
