Prosecutor General Abbas Shareef on Sunday ordered the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to expedite its investigations, including the investigation into the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) graft scandal, following numerous complaints regarding the slow speed of the commission’s investigations.
According to the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO), Abbas made the decision following multiple complaints regarding the slow pace of the commission’s investigations, including investigations into cases involving a high-level of public interest, which is affecting the recovery of lost public funds, and damaging the interests of the state and the general public.
Abbas used the powers vested in him under Article 223 of the Constitution to formulate a guideline for the ACC for the submission of criminal cases.
“The Prosecutor General ordered the Anti-Corruption Commission to follow these guidelines effective today (January 26, 2025),” announced the PGO in a statement.
PGO said that the order covers the expedition of investigations into major corruption cases such as the MMPRC graft case, the misuse of state resources during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the corruption allegations linked to social housing schemes ‘Binveriya’ and ‘Gedhoruveriya.’
The PGO said that the purpose of the guidelines is not just to expedite investigations, but also to establish systemic mechanisms for the investigative process, ascertain the uniformity of criminal investigations by various institutions, and to create a mechanism where its easier to consult with the PGO from the initial stages of the investigations.
The orders to expedite the investigation into the MMPRC graft case comes after Abbas recently decided to cancel the immunity deals signed with suspects in the case, including former Maldivian vice president Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Gafoor.
 The move was welcomed by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.