Corruption is not only about stolen money. It is about stolen trust.
Former Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem, in a recent blog post, sounded the alarm on distorted corruption case. On the surface, it looked like progress: a conviction, a sentence. But as Shameem argues, beneath the surface lies delay, bias, and missed opportunities.
The evidence was ready years ago. Witnesses were available. Yet, as Shameem points out, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) took almost five years to move the case forward. Delay, he warns, benefits the corrupt and protects the powerful.
More troubling, the investigation itself stopped short. Shameem highlights that costly deals signed with clear bad intent were left untouched. The judge himself noted these blind spots. Justice half-done, he writes, is injustice multiplied.
Shameem’s solution is clear: we need legal deadlines. Just as the police work within strict timeframes, so too must the ACC, the PG, and the courts. Without timelines and transparency, cases drift endlessly: and trust sinks.
If we want a Maldives that is truly prosperous, we must take this call seriously. Corruption prevention cannot wait.
Smile and Let Smile 