The Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) has directed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to conduct an investigation into the settlement agreements signed under the rules of procedure for resolving disputes between the government and the private sector.
The PGO said the submission was made to the ACC after the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee examined the compensation paid to various individuals and businesses between 17 November 2018 and 17 November 2023; covering the entire five year term of the Ibrahim Mohamed Solih administration.
“After taking into consideration the contents of the Parliament’s report, this office finds that it is within the remit of the Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate and has requested the Anti-Corruption Commission, on 17 December, to conduct a criminal investigation into the matters raised by the report,” the PGO said.
The agency has directed the ACC to conduct an expeditious investigation and to continue consulting with the office as the investigation progresses, the PGO noted.
The report alleges that senior state officials stand accused of transferring and attempting to transfer state funds and property to persons other than their rightful owners, the agency said.
The Public Accounts Committee report also highlighted allegations that certain public officials had acted in violation of their official duties to the detriment of the state.
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) on Thursday declared nine settlement agreements made under the procedure to be null and void, ordering relevant state agencies to cease compliance with the terms of those settlements.
The AGO said the settlements were deemed invalid because the procedure used for dispute resolution in government-private agreements lacked legal status and authority.