Police on Thursday summoned and questioned Fisheries Minister Zaha Waheed over the largest tourism scandal in the archipelago's history.
The minister revealed to AVAS Saturday that she presented herself to the police Headquarters on Thursday, where she gave information required by the police. She did not give further details.
The official audit report into the MMPRC scandal revealed that over US$ 79 million was embezzled through the state tourism promotion company, Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC).
The police disclosed that several individuals are being quizzed over the graft. While they did not reveal the names of the people being questioned, Ghassan Maumoon, son of former president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom was questioned over the tourism graft last week.
Prosecutor General Aishath Bisham last month revealed at the Parliament's Public Accounts Committee that beneficiaries of the embezzled funds sat on the committee itself, and that several parliamentarians and cabinet members were implicated in the corruption.
It has been reported that the ministers mentioned by the PG include Minister Zaha, Communication Minister Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal and Youth Minister Ahmed Mahloof. However, the ministers have denied the allegations.
The police have sated that while it was previously understood that 177 individuals received funds from the MMPRC graft, new data shows this number to be 267. They include seven government officials of the current administration, 16 members of the current parliament, and eight judges, said the police.
Fisheries Minister Zaha Waheed
