Former defense chief Shiyam charged with misuse of official authority

Former Chief of Defense Force Major General (Retired) Ahmed Shiyam has been charged with misuse of official authority.

The charge comes after Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) found Shiyam accommodated his father at a VIP residence located at the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) Maritime Rescue Coordination Center located in Vilimale’ from 2017 to 2018, and arranged for a private officer of the MNDF to serve a caretaker.

ACC completed the investigation and presented the case to the Prosecutor General’s Office for charges on December 23.

The Prosecutor General’s Office announced on Wednesday that Shiyam has been charged with misuse of government authority to obtain a benefit under Section 513 (c) of the Penal Code, with reference to Section 513 (b).

The charge was filed with the Criminal Court on Monday, December 28.

Shiyam’s father resided at the VIP residence at the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center for one year and four months from July 18, 2017 to December 11, 2018.

ACC said in a statement following the completion of their investigation that by allowing Shiyam’s father to reside at the VIP residence, by assigning a commissioned officer to look after him, and by granting him access to the facility’s resources and services, he received benefits to which he had not been entitled to.

ACC said that Shiyam’s actions equated to conferring benefits from a facility run at state expense to someone who was not entitled to it, through misuse of official authority.

ACC said that while there aren’t explicit regulations for accommodation at the VIP residence, the facility cannot be used to accommodate civilians. And that there no do exists any laws, regulations or policies permitting Shiyam’s father to reside in a MNDF facility, nor did he possess the authority to reside in the facility in question.

ACC also said that a military officer cannot be assigned to look after a civilian at the instructions of a high-ranking military official, unless it is to provide services to a civilian to fulfil duties and responsibilities of military officers declared under the Armed Forces Act.