Intel report: Police say Moosa's financial situation allows living abroad

Former Managing Director of Road Development Corporation (RDC) Moosa Ali Manik (Mookey) has the financial capacity to live abroad for a long period of time, said Police today.

A criminal court order to seize Moosa's passport cited police reports indicating that he has the financial resources to live abroad long-term, and his departure could hinder the evidence collection process.

Police have submitted only an intelligence report as evidence in the case.

Besides Moosa, the passport of former RDC's Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Yasir Hassan was also seized.

On Thursday night, police armed with warrants searched Moosa's apartment, his wife's apartment and the apartment where Yasir, the next accused in the fraud case, lives. Some electronic items were also taken from the premises, police said earlier.

Police launched the investigation against Yasir towards the end of 2023 after central bank Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) flagged large deposits into his account, which accumulated to MVR 13 million over time. On 14th November last year, police also raided the RDC three days before the expiry of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's administration.

While Yasir denies these allegations, Moosa also denies any involvement despite his name being looped into the accusations as well.

Police had earlier said that MVR 14 million belonging to RDC had flowed through the men's personal accounts. At the time, police said that on of them had MVR 11 million enter their accounts while two others had MVR one million each enter their accounts.

The money involved in the case circulated through their accounts from 2018 until September 2022, police said, adding that a total of 216 transactions were conducted to circulate the money for personal use.

Former Economic Minister and MDP Chairman Fayyaz Ismail was also summoned to the police station in March this year on allegations related to RDC funds.

Fayyaz said the police questioned him because a company doing business with the RDC had sent money to his account. However, Fayyaz said it was a loan he took from the company.