Parliament on Thursday approved a motion to request the Attorney General to initiate a criminal investigation against former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, opposition leader Fayyaz Ismail, and former President’s Office Minister Ali Shiyam over alleged legal violations linked to a now-dissolved settlement committee.
The motion, passed with 55 votes in favour and 11 against, follows a recommendation from the Public Accounts Committee. The officials are accused of directly or indirectly allocating state funds and property to unauthorised individuals, allegedly in violation of their legal responsibilities.
The settlement committee, formed under the Solih administration in November 2022 to resolve disputes over government-private agreements, was disbanded this year after current Attorney General Ahmed Usham found it operated without a proper legal framework.
Critics have questioned the decision to investigate Solih and Fayyaz, as neither were members of the committee. The Public Accounts Committee has not clarified how these officials were selected for investigation, leading to allegations of politically motivated targeting to weaken opposition against the government.
“Parliament will formally request the AG’s office to proceed. Once reviewed, the matter will be referred to the Prosecutor General,” a committee member said.
Solih, Fayyaz, and Shiyam have not commented on the decision.