News Desk
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has asked the Prosecutor General’s Office to press money laundering charges against Montilion International Private Limited, a company connected to former Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, in relation to the massive Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) corruption scandal.
Investigators revealed that $150,000 was transferred from the account of SOF Private Limited—the main entity used to siphon state funds during the scandal—into Montilion’s bank account. The ACC has requested the Prosecutor General’s Office to prosecute the company and order the recovery of the full $150,000 to be returned to MMPRC.
According to the graft watchdog, evidence shows that individuals managing Montilion at the time received and used the funds despite reasonable suspicion that the money was derived from criminal activity.
Official business registry records show Montilion International is currently in the process of liquidation. The company’s remaining shareholders are listed as Shahid Hussain and Saeed Hussain, though former Vice President Adeeb previously held shares in the firm. The ACC recently submitted a similar request to the PG Office seeking money laundering charges against MHR Trading over related MMPRC funds.
Adeeb was sentenced to 20 years in prison on October 5, 2020, after being convicted of embezzling over MVR 2 billion in state revenue during former President Abdulla Yameen’s administration. The court also fined him MVR 2 million across two counts. However, Adeeb walked free late in former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s term following a presidential pardon.
The request for charges follows recent developments surrounding the former vice president. In August, the Civil Court closed a debt recovery suit against Adeeb after he settled his remaining MVR 1 million state fine. Additionally, a promotional feature profile published by Forbes Georgia titled “The Rise, Fall, and Reinvention of Ahmed Adeeb” was pulled from the publication’s platform following public backlash after it was revealed to be a paid promotional article.
