PG Office has decided to cancel the immunity agreements entered into with former Vice President Ahmed Adheeb, former MD of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) Abdulla Ziyath, and SOF leaders in the MMPRC corruption case.
The Prosecutor General's Office has decided to cancel the immunity agreements entered into with former Vice President Ahmed Adheeb, former Managing Director of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) Abdulla Ziyath, and SOF leaders in the MMPRC corruption case.
Adeeb, and others involved in the embezzlement of funds from MMPRC during former President Abdulla Yameen's administration, were granted leniency under the Pardon and Sentence Reduction Act by former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. The investigation into the case was run collaboratively by investigative authorities under the Asset Recovery Commission formed at the time.
PG Office said on Sunday that Prosecutor General Abbas Shareef has decided to revoke the immunity and cooperation agreements entered into under the case.
This includes agreements with Adeeb, SOF head Mohamed Allam Latheef, and close associates Ahmed Isfah and Mohamed Hussain (Oitte'). SOF was the company to which the embezzled funds were mostly deposited to.
The agreement with Ziyath had been cancelled in August 2022, the PG Office noted.
- Former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb
- Former MMPRC Managing Director Abdulla Ziyath
- Mohamed Allam Latheef
- Ahmed Isfah
- Mohamed Hussain (Oitte')
The immunity and cooperation agreements had been signed previously with the aim to advance to the investigation and recover the stolen funds. Despite this, the PG Office said that investigative authorities had informed them that no cooperation had been extended to the investigation or fund recovery by these persons.
With the revocation of the agreements, the PG Office has now instructed Police and the Anti Corruption Commission to proceed with the halted investigations against them and to forward the cases for prosecution.
The funds that MMPRC should have received through the leasing of islands was mainly deposited to SOF. The funds were then deposited to others through SOF. At the time, there was a close relationship between Adeeb and SOF operators.
However, due to plea bargains, charges were not raised against any persons involved with SOF.
Charges were pressed against Adeeb with a short sentence period after then Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem stated that there was sufficient evidence to sentence him to 800 years in jail through 150 charges in relation to the granting of 54 islands.
He was sentenced to 20 years in prison on seven charges through a plea bargain he entered into with the State. He was also fined by MVR 2 million.
Those in the legal profession raised questions even then about why such a low fine had been levied against him, when he could have been legally fined billions. They pointed out that this was not to the benefit of the State, as under the Money Laundering Act, the accused can be ordered to repay the amount laundered, along with a fine up to five times this amount.
Although Adeeb was sentenced to a 20 year prison term, former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had commuted his sentence to just four years, effectively letting him walk free.
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