Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has alleged that President Mohamed Muizzu is keeping Adam Shamil as president of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to ensure the body does not investigate corruption cases involving the current government.
Speaking at a gathering at the People’s National Front (PNF) office on Thursday night, Yameen claimed Muizzu was confident the ACC would not pursue any cases against his administration because Shameel had also failed to investigate cases against previous government.
“Muizzu has a guarantee that [Shamil] will not investigate any case in his five years. That is why he is keeping him,” Yameen said.
The former president criticised the ACC and successive governments for failing to recover state funds lost through corruption. “None of the previous governments have made any effort to recover any money lost from the state budget,” he said, questioning the point of operating the anti-graft body if leaders have no intention of reclaiming stolen funds.
Yameen added that Shamil should resign for failing to deliver on the commission’s mandate but alleged Muizzu would not allow him to step down. “Now he has to, you know, he has to tell ‘I couldn’t do this’ and resign himself and go home. But he won’t let him go. Muizzu will tell him to stay,” he said.
He further accused political leaders of failing to pursue accountability and justice in corruption cases, saying the public’s trust in political parties had eroded because “their words and actions do not match.”