ACC meets with new FIU Head Sajid

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has yesterday met with the newly appointed head of central bank Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA)'s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) Ismail Sajid.

In a social media post that has since been removed, ACC said that the discussions had centered on collaboration in cases concerning both institutes.

It is unclear why the ACC later removed the social media post concerning the meeting.

Sajid was appointed as Head of FIU on August 3. His appointment came following the transfer of previous FIU Head Abdulla Ashraf. MMA said that the change is part of structural changes within the authority to further streamline operations.

Ashraf is now appointed as the Head of MMA's Risk and Compliance Department.

Sajid previously served as a member of the Tax Appeal Tribunal.

The authority to appoint and dismiss the head of FIU is held by the MMA Governor.

Ashraf's removal from the post came just one day after an FIU report concerning the financial transactions of Official Events, a company in which ruling PNC MP Ibrahim Shujau holds shares, was leaked on social media. After the report was circulated on social media, the ACC stated that it had been investigating the case raised in the report for a time now.

Ashraf had been removed from the post of FIU Head previously as well, in 2018. At the time, his removal came after he flagged concerns to ACC and Police of suspicious transactions related to the MMPRC corruption during the administration of former President Abdulla Yameen.

He was later reinstated in 2023.