Maldives president Muizzu faces allegations of corruption ahead of parliamentary polls

In the run-up to the parliamentary elections in the Maldives, opposition parties have called for a thorough investigation and potential impeachment of President Mohamed Muizzu following the emergence of a leaked report alleging corruption dating back to 2018, a claim vehemently denied by the President.

With the parliamentary polls scheduled for Sunday, the political landscape has been charged with allegations and counter-allegations between the main opposition party, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), and Muizzu’s People’s National Congress (PNC).

The controversy erupted Monday when an anonymous individual under the pseudonym ‘Hassan Kurusee’ disseminated leaked intelligence reports on social media platforms. These reports, purportedly prepared by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of the Maldives Monetary Authority and the Maldives Police Service, allegedly implicated President Muizzu in corrupt practices.

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According to local media reports, the leaked documents suggest irregularities in money transfers to President Muizzu’s personal bank account, flagging ten critical red flags indicative of financial impropriety. Allegations include connections with politically exposed individuals, embezzlement, structured transactions, and the use of corporate entities to obfuscate fund origins.

The allegations have sparked a political firestorm, eliciting various reactions on social media platforms. While news portals and newspapers have approached the issue cautiously, the opposition MDP and People’s National Front (PNF) have called for a thorough investigation into the matter.

Former Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed urged Muizzu’s impeachment following the leaked intelligence reports. Taking to his social media handle X, Jameel reposted these documents, emphasising the need for accountability at all levels of governance.

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Apart from demanding Muizzu’s impeachment, Jameel, a senior member of the Progressive Party of Maldives, “also accused President Muizzu of extensive corruption in his flagship Ras Male’ development project and alleged excessive spending on public relations. Jameel has called on President Muizzu to cooperate with independent investigations into these allegations,” mvrepublic.com said.

The news portal also claimed that this was the first time an FIU report was leaked and said, there has been no official confirmation or response from government bodies regarding the legitimacy of the reports or the allegations.

Adhadhu.com reported that President Muizzu responded late on Tuesday night to corruption allegations declaring that the opposition “cannot show any wrongdoing on his part regardless of how far attempts to implicate him are taken” and also accused the opposition of leaking the reports out of desperation.

“The same allegations had been made during his campaigns for mayor and President,” he said adding, the response would also be the same as before.

“While you attempt to pin something on me like this, you couldn’t do it before and you can’t do it now. There’s nothing you can show against me no matter how far you take this,” Adhadhu.com said, quoting the President.

Atoll Times gave a detailed account of what President Muizzu said in his defence, including how he would “never compromise the rights of the people and that no matter how many such allegations are made, nobody will be able to show anything done in such a manner.” “The last five years opposition was in government, if there was anything done wrong, it would have come to light,” Muizzu said.

“The President’s remarks came after the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and People’s National Front (PNF) called on the relevant authorities to investigate the serious allegations against the President. But no government investigative agency has yet to comment on the issue,” Adhadhu.com reported.

A total of 368 candidates are contesting for 93 seats in this year’s parliamentary elections on April 21, according to media reports. The outcome of the elections will determine whether the opposition parties can act against President Muizzu, who assumed charge in November last year.

With inputs from PTI