The investigation report into the Maldives Media and PR corporation (MMPRC) scandal has revealed that part of the embezzled MVR 1.3 billion was transferred into the accounts of Youth Minister Ahmed Mahloof, among a State Minister and three MPs.
According to the report publicized by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) on Thursday, MMPRC was supposed to receive USD 77.5 million as acquisition fees for 57 islands leased through the company. However, only USD 12.5 million was received by the state, while the remaining USD 64.8 million was deposited into the account of a company named SOF Private Limited, and a company linked to the now jailed former vice president Ahmed Adeeb, Millennium Capital Management.
More than USD 80 million of the funds were deposited into the accounts of several individuals and companies, including Youth Minister Ahmed Mahloof who received USD 33,000, State Minister of Planning Ministry Akram Kamaluddin who received USD 30,000, and President of Football Association of Maldives (FAM) Bassam Adeel Jaleel, who received USD 29,000.
Other notable figures who received funds from SOF include Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Moosa Manik (Reeko) who received USD 100,000 while Vilifushi MP Riyaz Rasheed received a whopping USD 424,255. USD 250,000 was deposited into the account of Guraidhoo MP Hussain Manik Dhon Maik.
The report also named several high profile Maldivian companies that recieved the embezzled funds from MMPRC, with the company to have received the largest amount being tourism company, Champa Brothers.
The ACC report confirmed that MVR 1.3 million was embezzled through MMPRC, while a large amount of the funds were withdrawn in hard cash.
