MDP Chairperson and former Minister for Economic Development and Trade, Fayyaz Ismail, was summoned to Maldives Police Service after a company associated with RDC supposedly deposited money into his account.
Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson and former Minister for Economic Development and Trade, Fayyaz Ismail, said that the Maldives Police Service (MPS) questioned him after a company associated with the Road Development Corporation (RDC) deposited money into his account.
However, Fayyaz said it was a loan he took from the company. Fayyaz was summoned before the police yesterday afternoon for questioning in connection with the investigation into allegations of corruption against some RDC employees.
After 30 minutes at the station, Fayyaz informed reporters that he had not been charged with any criminal offence. He accused the incumbent government of pursuing a political agenda against him.
Fayyaz said the police questioned him about a loan he had taken from a company he had relations with in September 2022. It was a loan of MVR 160,000. The company also had business dealings with RDC.
Fayyaz stated that the financial statements of the ministers posted on the President’s Office website and the financial report submitted to the Auditor General’s Office would indicate that he had taken a loan from the company as well.
“I do not understand why that question was asked”, he said.
“They are trying to link that the company that gave me the loan was doing business with RDC and that the company received funds through it”, Fayyaz said “I do not know how the company is receiving the money”.
Fayyaz said the police sought to find out if the company’s business with RDC was illegal and that it was not about him.
His lawyer, Mahfooz Saeed, stated that the police have not made any connections between the case being investigated against RDC and Fayyaz. He also said that there is no criminal charge against Fayyaz.
Mahfooz also mentioned that Fayyaz was only summoned to clarify information. However, the information they required was previously made public and included in Fayyaz’ financial statements when he was a minister.
At a press conference held on March 3 to provide information about the RDC scandal during former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s administration, the Economic Crime Department of MPS said that the technical procedures began after the case was filed in September 2022.
According to MPS, while many government employees were accused of involvement in the RDC scam, only three people have been confirmed to have participated in the scam.
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