The President’s Office has relieved Chairman of Maldives Water and Sewerage Company Limited (MWSC) Ahmed Mausoom as well as Board member of Island Aviation Services Abdulla Azim  off their duties.

The company, SOF Pvt Ltd has been revealed to have transferred funds acquired through corruption at Maldives Marketing and Public relations Corporation (MMPRC). The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) revealed a report citing names and companies that received these funds last Thursday.

Spokesperson at the President’s Office Ibrahim Hoodh confirmed to One Online that Mausoom and Azim had been relieved of their positions today by President’s Office due to their names being mentioned in the report of corruption at MMPRC. He had also informed that similar to senior officials of the government who had been relieved of their positions, Mausoom and Azim have also been told to not present themselves at work until the remainder of the investigation into ACC report findings.

Former Finance Secretary at the President's Office and one of the founders of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Ahmed Mausoom is currently the Chairman Maldives Water and Sewerage Company Limited (MWSC).

While two companies under Mausoom had been named by the report to have received funds from SOF Pvt. Ltd, the amount transferred had been cited as USD 6.1 million. The two companies under Ahmed Mausoom are  CTG Pvt Ltd as well as MC Maldives Pvt Ltd. The other people who had a share in CTG Pvt Ltd include Abdulla Raafiu, Umar Jamal as well as Maahee Ahmed Zahir.

Board member of Island Aviation Services Abdulla Azim had been appointed to the position on 6 February 2019. The ACC report had revealed that an account under Azim had received USD 50,000 from SOF Pvt Ltd.

President Solih had been urging a “Zero Tolerance to Corruption” even prior to the release of the ACC report.

The Privatization and Corporatization board (PCB) has declared that both Mausoom and Aizm will not be paid from the day of their suspension till the extent of their leave.

President of PCB Mohamed Nizar has said that both Mausoom and Azim will not be receiving any financial benefits such as wage and allowance from the day starting with the suspension. He has said that both Mausoom and Azim will be told these details in an official letter.

While the MWSC Chairman and Island Aviation Services Board Member have been relieved from.their positions, senior officials of the government have also been asked to step down for now. Minister for Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Ahmed Mahloof as well the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of National Planning and Infrastructure Akram Kamaluddin had been relieved of their duties surrounding the ACC report.