Dhuvaafaru Council corruption: PG leaning against pressing charges

Prosecutor General’s Office (PG Office), on Sunday, revealed that they are leading towards executing plea or caution agreements with the individuals complicit in the case of R. Dhuvaafaru Council corruption.

Dhuvaafaru Council corruption case came to light last year, when a special report prepared by the Local Government Authority (LGA) showed over MVR 2 million in suspicious transfers to the personal bank accounts of some of the councilors and staff members of the council from the budget.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), following their probe of the case, requested charges against eight individuals including some of the councilors and staff members back in March.

Briefing Sun regarding the latest updates on the case, PG Office’s Spokesperson, Public Prosecutor Ahmed Shafeeu said no official decision has been reached with respect to the case so far.

However, Shafeeu noted that the prosecution was leading more towards executing plea or caution agreements with the individuals complicit in the case.

He added that no further details can be disclosed at this time.

The eight individuals ACC was seeking charges against are;

• Council President Hassan Hakeem
• Council Vice President Izmeel Ahmed
• Former Councilor Ahmed Samhooh
• Councilor Mohamed Shaam
• Councilor Zuhudha Adam
• Councilor Aminath Solah
• Secretary General Mohamed Nasir
• Former Assistant Director Mohamed Ali Fulhu

Charges against all eight officials are being requested under Article 513 (b) of the Penal Code – for abusing official capacity to obtain an unentitled benefit; Article 516 for corruption with respect to state funds and property in addition to Article 517 for disregarding the best interests of the state in circumstances of benefit.

When Dhuvaafaru Council corruption case was submitted to ACC in July last year – a team of the commission visited the island to gather information for the investigations. They completed the investigation and forwarded the case for duty prosecution two months later. The case was resent to the PG Office in March after making the amendments instructed by the office during the duty prosecution process.