Former Maldivian Vice President Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor said on Wednesday that there aren’t any local political parties that haven’t benefited from funds embezzled from Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC).
At his arraignment hearing at the Criminal Court on Wednesday afternoon, Adeeb pled guilty to all seven charges pressed against him by the state in connection to the MMPRC embezzlement and money laundering case.
In a statement after entering his plea, Adeeb said that the corruption had been an organized scheme run by the previous government, and that many had receive funds in various ways under the scheme.
“The money financed through this scheme was spent politically on independent institutions at the time, the judiciary at the time, the parliament at the time, [and] many more. This case involves a lot of people, this case involves many beneficiaries. There isn’t a single political party that hasn’t benefited from this case. And this money was used in votes taken at the parliament and on everything,” he said.
Adeeb accused former Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom of being the ringleader behind the corruption, and said that MMPRC had leased islands under the direct instructions of the President’s Office.
“This was run under a precisely planned, organized scam by the previous government with the involvement of many,” he said.
To be updated…