Over MVR 73.6 Million Deposited to Some Prison Officers, Gov’t to Investigate

Minister of Homeland Security and Technology, Ali Ihusaan, has announced an investigation following the discovery of substantial sums of money deposited into the bank accounts of some Correctional Service officers. 

These officers are allegedly involved in smuggling contraband into prisons, and the failure to flag these transactions has raised significant concerns.

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Authorities launched an inquiry into a network of corrupt officers smuggling phones and drugs into Maafushi Prison. During a press conference, it was revealed that 18 officers are implicated in the network, with over MVR 73.6 million deposited into their accounts.

A member of the press questioned why these transactions were not flagged, given that banks typically verify large deposits. They also inquired why no action had been taken sooner, despite long-standing suspicions about officers and prisoners.

In response, Minister Ihusan explained that the deposits were made incrementally in amounts ranging from MVR 5,000 to MVR 15,000.

“It may be possible that the small deposits were not flagged by the bank’s threshold. But it is an issue we will investigate,” he stated.

“We will share with those parties and institutions and see from which area the information was failed to be shared. We will look into it and take appropriate action against it,” the Minister added.

Minister Ihusan acknowledged that institutions like the Maldives Correctional Services are often subject to serious allegations from the public. He suggested that inconsistencies in previous investigations might explain why authorities had not identified the issue earlier.

Since the current administration took office, the police have been instructed to expedite financial investigations, Minister Ihusan confirmed.