Contrary to a statement by the graft watchdog chief that the ruling party president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is set to be summoned over an ongoing probe, Mihaaru has found that there is no open case against the former president.
ACC president Hassan Luthfee told Mihaaru on Tuesday that the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) leader is to be questioned over some audit reports of 2008.
However, some surprised members of the ACC denied any knowledge of an investigation against Gayoom until media reports had carried Luthfee's comments.
Luthfee had earlier 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 had 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.
But reliable sources have confirmed that the case in question is still being investigated by police since 2009.
"As the case is being investigated by the police, ACC has steered clear of it. So we haven't summoned or questioned anyone over the case," an ACC member told Mihaaru.
Luthfee's sudden announcement of the graft probe against Gayoom comes amid a power struggle for the ruling party control with half brother and incumbent president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.
The elder 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 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 partys 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.
He admitted that the move to launch a reform program came after many futile attempts to resolve the divisions within the party.
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.
Meanwhile, Gayoom's daughter, foreign minister Dhunya Maumoon stepped down on Tuesday over what she described as a profound differences of opinion with the government’s bid to enforce the death penalty.
Shortly before Dunya’s announcement, the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives expelled her brother, MP Faaris Maumoon, for voting against a government tourism bill at Gayoom’s request.
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