The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has forwarded a case to prosecute a former Senior Superintendent of Maldives Customs Service regarding a bribery solicitation matter. The ACC stated that they have requested the Prosecutor General’s Office to prosecute Moaaz Ali, H. Newhappiness, a former Senior Superintendent of Maldives Customs Service, in a case involving the solicitation of a bribe. They also added that the request to prosecute him was sent last Wednesday.
The ACC stated that in 2018, a private company imported 450 cases of cigarettes into the Maldives. Although 430 of these cigarette cases were released from the Hulhumalé Bonded Warehouse after completing all necessary re-export procedures, they were never re-exported. The commission further stated that their investigation revealed that when the Maldives Customs Service began investigating the matter, instead of resolving the case in a way that would benefit the company that imported the cigarettes, Moaaz Ali solicited a bribe from two individuals associated with that company.
In this case, the ACC has requested prosecution for the offense of knowingly soliciting a benefit, accepting it, or agreeing to accept that benefit for oneself or another person.
