Prosecutor General Abbas Shareef has ordered the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to expedite criminal investigations.
The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) Sunday said it had received complaints regarding ACC’s slow pace in investigating important cases. While PGO has also observed delays in ACC investigations, including of cases involving significant state and public interests, delays in corruption cases and the recovery of stolen state funds undermine and compromise the interests of the state and citizens, PGO said.
The Prosecutor General has also directed the ACC to follow the constitutional guidelines on submitting criminal cases under investigation by the ACC to the PGO, under section the Constitution’s 223(f), and the powers vested to the PG under 223(k) of the Constitution.
The Prosecutor General’s order asks to instruct the ACC to expedite cases it has been investigating such as the MMPRC graft, misuse of public funds during the COVID-19 pandemic, cases related to government-owned companies, and the Binveriyaa and Gedhoruveriyaa Housing Scheme, all of which are highly linked to the state’s finances and the interests of the public. The order states that the investigation of major cases of fraud related to the public finances and public interest should be conducted with special attention and submitted to the office in accordance with the instructions given by the Prosecutor General.
The purpose of the directive is to expedite and strengthen the investigations of the ACC, and conduct the investigation in a systematic manner. It also seeks to ensure uniformity of investigations conducted by various criminal agencies, and ease the access to PG’s recommendations.
