Maldives' graft watchdog Tuesday has filed a lawsuit seeking the seizure of a property bought by jailed former main tourism promotion company head Abdulla Ziyath in the reclaimed suburb allegedly with the state funds embezzled in the largest corruption in the archipelago's history.
Maldives Media and PR Corporation (MMPRC) had mediated the leasing of over 59 different tourist hotels, resorts and yacht marinas out of which 53 had been leased through an agreement with the tourism ministry.
The official audit report into the scandal, had revealed that over USD79 million had been embezzled through the state tourism promotion company.
The funds received by MMPRC was distributed through a private company with strong links to former vice president Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Ghafoor.
Both Adheeb and his close aide former MMPRC head Abdulla Ziyath have been convicted and sentenced to prison over the scandal.
According to a statement released by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Ziyath had allegedly diverted USD400,000 received as acquisition cost from the lease of an island in Alif Alif Atoll to a private account of a relative.
Ziyath's relative then had used around USD320,000 to purchase a nearly 2,000 square foot property in the reclaimed suburb Hulhumale, the statement read.
The ACC had requested the civil court to order the seizure as the investigation had revealed that Ziyath had exploited his position in the company to siphon off state funds to purchase the property in Hulhumale.
