President Solih: Endorsement of corrupt practices is the worst form of corruption

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, on Sunday, has stated that endorsement of corrupt practices is the worst form of corruption.

He made the remark whilst speaking at the inauguration ceremony of ‘Maldives Anti-Corruption Conference 2022’ which is organized by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in collaboration with Transparency Maldives (TM).

With reference to the state of corruption across the globe and in the Maldives – President Solih said that corrupt practices were prevalent within the three powers of the state and civil society. He stressed that deep-rooted issues and avenues for corruption are not resolved overnight despite shifts in power. In this regard, he noted that such practices, over time, become habits that are difficult to break.

The President described systematic endorsement of corrupt practices within all state ranks as the biggest threat to combating corruption.

However, he reaffirmed his administration's commitment to fighting corruption – detailing this the administration had created and upheld the means to investigate and combat corruption and assured that the administration remains committed to ensuring the ACC is free from undue influence.

Further highlighting the administration’s efforts toward this event – President Solih noted of the international recognition received for its anti-corruption policies and practices. The President went on to state that corruption is a disease affecting the globe – with the only means to address it being increasing accountability and identifying the reasons behind corruption.

Noting that this year’s Conference focuses on the important topic of identifying the causes of corruption and embedding good governance procedures into the running of state-owned enterprises – he assured that his administration would welcome suggestions and recommendations from the Conference.

The two-day conference which is being held at Bandos Maldives will be attended by representatives from relevant government authorities and state-owned enterprises.