The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has endorsed and welcomed the bill on proceeds of crime, which proposes allowing property to be seized for the state if proven on a civil standard to be derived from crime, even if the suspect is not convicted of a criminal offense.

In a statement issued by the ACC, it stated that the government's official submission of the "Bill on Proceeds of Crime" to the Parliament is a notable and historically significant step in the work being done against corruption in the Maldives.

ACC said that the bill will establish a strong legal framework required to prevent corruption offenses, recover illicit gains obtained through major crimes back to the state, and stop criminals from acquiring unlawfully obtained wealth.

ACC also described it as a boost to the efforts being made by institutions to safeguard state resources for future generations.

The Commission stated that it will remain committed to working closely with state institutions and international partners to ensure the optimal operation of the system in order to uphold the rule of law and establish the highest degree of justice in the Maldives. It also expressed its hope that the bill will be passed and implemented.

"The Commission's hope is that the Parliament passes this bill as quickly as possible and in the most technically complete manner, and that its practical implementation begins." reads the ACC statement.

Sharing that the bill was forwarded to the parliament, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu stated on X yesterday that one of the main objectives of the bill is to introduce a legal framework regarding the forfeiture of proceeds of crime to the state, in order to seize illegally acquired property from perpetrators of serious criminal offenses and block avenues for deriving further benefits from such assets.

"Mihaaru News" reports that the bill sets out standards for identifying proceeds of crime and means used to commit crimes, circumstances under which such property can be seized by the state, and general principles to be followed in this regard.

The bill also includes procedures regarding measures to be taken to identify proceeds of crime, as well as temporary measures to freeze such property. Among these are account monitoring orders, production orders, and account freezing orders.

A monitoring order is an order issued to inspect and monitor an account at a financial institution to obtain information regarding funds that can be seized by the state. A production order is an order issued to direct a financial institution or another relevant party to disclose information regarding property that can be seized by the state.

According to the bill, an account freezing order is an order issued to prevent any transactions involving funds at a financial institution that can be seized by the state. Rules regarding these orders are detailed in the bill.

Additionally, the bill sets out principles for establishing international assistance and cooperation. Among these are procedures for freezing and seizing proceeds of crime located outside the Maldives through foreign countries.

The bill also includes procedures for providing assistance to foreign countries in freezing and seizing proceeds of crime belonging to parties from those countries located within the Maldives. Furthermore, procedures to be followed when returning property in the Maldives seized for a foreign country under an international agreement, as well as bringing Maldivian property located in foreign countries back to the Maldives, are included in the bill.