Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is set to summon former president and ruling party president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom over several corruption allegations.
ACC president Hassan Luthfee told Mihaaru that the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) over some audit reports of 2008.
Luthfee insisted that the commission had been looking into graft allegations during Gayoom's administration for a while.
"The investigation has now reached a point where we need to question Gayoom," Luthfee said.
"We've summoned and questioned many over the audit reports. So based on their responses we have found that Gayoom is the last person we must question."
According to Luthfee, the ACC is investigating the alleagtions jointly with the police.
The sudden graft probe comes amid a power struggle for the ruling party control with half brother and incumbent president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.
However, Luthfee denied any link to the current political situation and the graft probe.
"We've been investigating the audit reports for quite awhile," he stressed.
The rift between the two brothers widened over a government proposed controversial amendment to the Tourism Act.
Gayoom last week had assumed full control of the party amid a fallout from his failed attempt to get his party lawmakers to vote down the amendment which sought to bypass the bidding process in island lease for tourism.
However, the government controlled parliament on Wednesday passed the amendment with all the ruling party lawmakers except two, voting to defy Gayoom .
Gayoom after announcing a reform program in a bid to wrestle back control of his party told reporters late Thursday that the amendment to the Tourism Act was a clear violation of the party’s charter.
He also said the PPM parliamentary group which controls the parliament had ignored and defied several requests to follow the party’s democratic values.
“The PPM parliamentary group has acted in violation of the party council’s decisions which includes amendments to the constitution and laws governing this country,” Gayoom said.
He also admitted that the move to launch a reform program came after many futile attempts to resolve the divisions within the party.
Meanwhile, PPM lawmakers loyal to president Yameen had decided to amend the law putting an age cap of 65 years for political party leaders in a bid to oust Gayoom.
The amendment would effectively put an end to Gayoom’s rein as the PPM leader.
The PPM parliamentary group’s decision to oust Gayoom who is now 80 came shortly after a sit-down with president Yameen.
Gayoom had also recently rejected a petition by the party council to gift the party’s presidential ticket to president Yameen for his re-election in 2018 without a primary.
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