Sun Siyam Media on Tuesday launched Fashaaru, a whistleblower portal that serves as a platform for people to report acts of corruption and bring it to the attention of the authorities as well as the general public.
The launch of the portal coincides with the International Anti-Corruption Day.
The portal allows members of the general public as well as government employees to report and disclose information both anonymously as well as in their own name.
Sun asks to share as much details and evidence as possible when reporting acts of corruption via the portal.
The portal does not store any information related to anonymous whistleblowers, ensuring their identities remain hidden.
Information can also be submitted to the portal through Tor network.
Commenting on the launch of the Fashaaru portal, Sun Siyam Media’s CEO Mohamed ‘Mondhu’ Asif said that Sun has a long history of unbiased and fact-based news reporting.
He said that the media house prioritizes matters of public interest and pushes for reforms.
“This portal, too, will be of great help to the public,” said Mondhu, a veteran media personality with over 30 years of experience.
He asked whistleblowers to share authentic cases, adding that such information will be of immense help to journalists in the fight against corruption.
Mondhu said that the main purpose of the portal is to maintain the trust people have in Sun.
He provided assurance that the identities of whistleblowers will remain anonymous.
“I, as the CEO, assure everyone that the identities of whistleblowers will not be compromised in any way,” said Mondhu, who previously headed the Public Service Media as well as other private media stations.
Commenting on the launch of the Fashaaru portal, Sun Online’s Managing Editor Ahmed Saail Ali provided assurance that the news outlet will utilize the information shared via the portal to hold criminals accountable.
“The information shared via this portal will be of great aid to journalists in their fight against corruption,” he said.
Corruption remains one of the biggest obstacles to the development of the Maldives, and one that many believe isn’t being effectively addressed by either the government or the Anti-Corruption Commission.