ACC asks police to probe destruction of state documents

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has asked the police to investigate multiple complaints of the destruction of official documents by state and government institutions and state-owned enterprises.

In a statement on Monday, the ACC asked state and government institutions to stop the destruction of official documents, citing that they pose an obstacle to the commission’s investigations.

“We appeal for everyone to refrain from such actions and practice integrity, even in situations where certain parties instruct such actions,” said the ACC.

The corruption watchdog stressed that actions such as the amendment, destruction or hiding of state documents are crimes.

“…we have therefore brought this to the attention of the police. We have also asked the Privatization and Corporatization Board to stop such actions by government and government-owned enterprises,” said the ACC.

The statement comes after a video of the destruction of Fuel Supplies Maldives (FSM)’s documents went viral on social media.

FSM - a subsidiary of the State Trading Organization (STO), responded that the documents were old and no longer relevant to the company.

Ahmed Anees, a technician at the FSM who took the video, has been suspended.