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Bill protecting whistleblowers submitted

Ahmed Aiham
09 December 2018, MVT 20:59
Gasim Abdul Kareem, the whistleblower responsible for exposing the largest embezzlement case in the Maldives. PHOTO: MOHAMED SHARUHAN/MIHAARU
Ahmed Aiham
09 December 2018, MVT 20:59

A bill to guarantee the protection of whistleblowers have been submitted to the Parliament, on Sunday.

The draft was submitted to provide protection for those exposing grand corruption within the state.

The first reading of the bill is scheduled for Monday.

The proposed act was submitted to the Parliament by Galolhu North constituent MP Eva Abdulla and is part of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's electoral pledges.

While the bill has been submitted to the Parliament, during the tenure of former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, the largest embezzlement case in state history, the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Company (MMPRC) scandal, was exposed by Gasim Abdul Kareem.

Gasim, a former assistant manager at the Bank of Maldives’ Nilandhoo Branch, Faafu Atoll, received an 8 month and 12-day prison sentence for unlawfully disclosing private information, on November 15, 2016.

He had released a BML bank statement revealing how funds received by MMPRC via the leasing of over 59 different tourist hotels, resorts and yacht marinas, were embezzled and distributed through a private company.

President Solih has pledged to recover the embezzled funds in his proposed efforts to fight corruption during his tenure.

The President established a Presidential Committee on Corruption and Asset recovery on November 18.

The purpose of the committee is to investigate cases of the misuse of government funds, between January 1, 2012 to the date of President Solih’s inauguration.

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