Former home minister Umar Naseer speaks to reporters. FILE PHOTO/MIHAARU
The former Minister of Home Affairs Umar Naseer filed a case at the police late Tuesday to charge a lawmaker of ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) with defamation for making corruption accusations against him.
Speaking at a PPM ceremony on Tuesday night, lawmaker of Inguraidhoo constituency Ibrahim Falah had referred to the state’s accusations against Umar Naseer for corruption in awarding the activities and events to celebrate the 50th Independence Day of the Maldives in 2015 during his tenure as home minister. To prove his allegations, MP Falah said that Umar had created small companies “for 10-15 days” to award these activities.
Following the PPM ceremony, Umar Naseer filed a case at the police requesting to probe MP Falah’s comments under the Defamation and Freedom of Speech Act and forward the charges to the Prosecutor General’s Office. In his case, Umar stated that MP Falah has defamed him with an unproven false statement as specified under Subject 10 of the Defamation Act.
Umar went on to say in his letter to the police that he had not awarded any event of Independence 50 to a company of which he or any of his family members are shareholders. He added that no such company had ever bid for a ministry project during his tenure as home minister.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is currently investigating the state’s accusations of corruption in Independence 50 activities against Umar Naseer. However, Umar has denied the allegations and claimed that they are meant to taint his candidacy for the Presidential Elections 2018.