MP Ibrahim: There should be a penalty for ‘greedy’ scam victims

There should also be a penalty for people who fall victim to scams due to their greed, says Ibrahim Mohamed, a lawmaker from the main ruling People’s National Congress.

Ibrahim, who represents the North Machangolhi constituency, made the comment during a parliamentary debate on Tuesday regarding a legislative amendment submitted by the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

The bill, submitted by North Galolhu MP Mohamed Ibrahim (Kudoo), seeks to empower the police to freeze bank funds in suspected scam cases, without needing to obtain a court warrant.

During the debate, Ibrahim said it was a good bill, but needed additional provisions.

He said that a scam involves two parties: the perpetrator and the victim. He alleged that people fall victim to scams because of their own greed.

“Extreme greed can result in wrong outcomes. I therefore believe that there should be some sort of penalty for people who want to enter various programs in order to gain extra profits or money through illicit means,” he said.

Ibrahim said that introducing such a penalty would make people more responsible.

MDP’s bill seeks to amend Article 73 (a) of the Criminal Procedure Code, which sets down provisions for freezing bank accounts and prohibiting transactions.

The law currently dictates that if an investigation uncovers a serious criminal offense, the law enforcement agency may request to obtain a court order to freeze bank accounts for a particular duration or prohibit transactions from the account.

But with the new amendment, the police would not need a court warrant to freeze the bank accounts in cases of suspected scams. It will empower police officers ranked sub inspector of police and above to issue freeze orders.

The bill dictates that such freeze orders must be shared with the relevant bank or institutions, as well as the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), as soon as possible.