The largest corruption scandal in the history of the Maldives is the embezzlement of the former Fisheries Projects Implementation Department (FPID) in 1990, declared ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) parliamentary group’s deputy leader Abdul Raheem Abdulla on Wednesday.
The lawmaker of Fonadhoo constituency made the remark at a ceremony held at Dharubaaruge convention centre to present the membership forms of PPM’s new members, stating that the embezzlement of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) in 2015 is not the biggest corruption scandal as it is being widely hailed.
“While MMPRC’s corruption is being called the largest to date in the Maldives, what about the FPID corruption? That’s the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the Maldives. We should give a thought about which government this corruption occurred in,” he said, commenting that the opposition and leaders of previous administrations should take a good look at their own histories while they point fingers at graft cases that occurred during the current government.
The FPID corruption surfaced in 1990 during the regime of Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. The scandal involved millions of dollars’ worth of state funds being embezzled from FPID, which is now the Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO). The main suspects of the corruption are former Minister of Transport Ilyas Ibrahim and Abdul Sattar Ali, the former husband of Machangolhi North MP Mariya Ahmed Didi.
Prior to MP Abdul Raheem, deputy parliamentary speaker Moosa Manik has also recently called on the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to reinvestigate the FPID case.
In his talk, MP Abdul Raheem went on to say that the opposition does not have the strength to “play with” the government and PPM. He also asserted his readiness to accompany President Yameen on the road to bring about the development and progress desired by the citizens.
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