Before the upcoming elections in the Maldives, opposition parties have called for an investigation and the impeachment of President Mohamed Muizzu after the release of a leaked report detailing his alleged corruption in 2018.

According to reports, there are allegations of irregularities in money transfers to President Muizzu's personal bank account, with ten critical red flag indicators of financial misconduct being highlighted. These indicators suggest involvement with politically exposed persons, embezzlement, structured transactions, and the use of corporate entities to conceal fund origins, as reported by the news portal Maldives Republic.

Muizzu has denied the allegations made against him. The upcoming elections for the Majlis are scheduled, and the atmosphere has been affected by the exchange of accusations between the main opposition party, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), and Muizzu's People's National Congress (PNC).

Local media reports have emphasised that the political turmoil began when an anonymous user named 'Hassan Kurusee' shared leaked intelligence reports on social media platform X. These reports, purportedly prepared by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of the Maldives Monetary Authority and the Maldives Police Service, allegedly implicated Muizzu in corruption.

The allegations quickly sparked a political uproar, eliciting numerous reactions across various social media platforms. However, news portals and newspapers exercised caution in their reporting. The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and People's National Front (PNF) called for an investigation into the matter.

Former Vice President Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed called for Muizzu's impeachment in light of the leaked intelligence reports. Jameel took to his social media platform X to repost these documents, highlighting the necessity for accountability across all levels of governance.

In addition to urging Muizzu's impeachment, Jameel, a senior member of the Progressive Party of Maldives, also accused President Muizzu of extensive corruption in his flagship Ras Male development project and alleged excessive spending on public relations. Jameel called on President Muizzu to cooperate with independent investigations into these allegations.

The news portal also asserted that it was the inaugural instance of an FIU report being leaked. It further noted that there has been no official confirmation or response from government bodies regarding the authenticity of the reports or the allegations.

President Muizzu responded to corruption allegations asserting that the opposition "cannot demonstrate any wrongdoing on his part, regardless of the extent to which attempts are made to implicate him." He also accused the opposition of leaking the reports out of desperation.

"The same allegations had been made during his campaigns for mayor and President," he said, adding that the response would also be the same as before.

"While you attempt to pin something on me like this, you couldn't do it before and you can't do it now. There's nothing you can show against me no matter how far you take this," Muizzu stated.

Muizzu defended himself, stating he wouldn't compromise people's rights and challenging anyone to prove wrongdoing. Despite opposition calls for investigations, government agencies have remained silent on the matter.

Image source: First Post