The catering contract was awarded to Newport, a posh café in capital Male which is relatively new to the catering business, for about MVR3.8 million. Reportedly, around 800 people were invited for the banquet, which amounts to over MVR4,750 per person. Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) launched an investigation in August into allegations of corruption over the awarding of the state banquet contract to Newport. The probe came after some guests had been aggrieved by the poor quality of the food and slow service. The banquet was attended by high-level foreign dignitaries including Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena. ACC chief Hassan Luthfee told Haveeru on Monday that their investigation into allegations concerning the state banquet had been completed. He, however, declined to provide details. Haveeru understands that ACC had sought criminal charges against Mohamed Hussain Shareef, a former minister at the President’s Office, over the awarding of the state banquet contract to Newport. The case has reportedly been forwarded to the prosecutor general’s office and Shareef has been notified as well. Minister Shareef resigned on October 22 after he was asked by the president not to report to work. It was the first time a minister had been sidelined by the government amidst the probe into a recent assassination attempt on the president. President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and First Lady Fathimath Ibrahim were travelling to Male from the airport on September 28 when the explosion took place. They had returned home that morning after concluding their visit to Saudi Arabia to perform the annual hajj pilgrimage. The president was unhurt, but the first lady suffered a spinal fracture. Then Vice President Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Ghafoor was arrested on October 24 upon return from an official visit to China and taken to the police detention centre in the island of Dhoonidhoo in Kaafu atoll. He is accused of orchestrating a recent blast aboard the presidential speedboat now confirmed as the first attempt to kill the president. The parliament had early this month passed a no-confidence motion initiated by lawmakers from the ruling coalition in a bid to impeach Adheeb. The former vice president remains in custody after the Criminal Court again extended his remand by another 15 days early this month. Opposition, meanwhile, had asked a parliamentary committee to probe the state funds used by the government for the celebration to mark the fiftieth anniversary of independence. Finance minister Abdulla Jihad had earlier said the government had set aside MVR130 million for the celebrations. However, the government is yet to disclose how much was spent on the numerous events that were organised as part of the celebrations.