Review of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in Maldives
Key Findings and Recommendations
The recent review of the ACC in Maldives has highlighted several areas for improvement, including:
Legislative Framework Issues
- Criminal Procedure Act: The absence of a CPA in the Maldives causes problems in understanding the procedure for agencies like the ACC.
- Incentives for Guilty Pleas: There is no incentive for guilty pleas in corruption cases, resulting in all cases being contested and taking significant time to finalize.
- Asset Recovery: There is no law that specifically deals with the recovery of assets in non-drug trafficking cases.
Operational Improvement Recommendations
- Case Management System: A comprehensive and IT-based case management system should be developed to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
- Training: Training on money laundering offenses, mutual legal assistance, and asset recovery is essential to expand existing investigative approaches.
- Staff Protection: A procedure to protect staff from threats needs to be in place, including the possibility of providing a risk allowance for investigators working on dangerous cases.
Other Areas for Improvement
- Illicit Enrichment: There is no offense of illicit enrichment, which may be another useful offense that the ACC could seek to have added to Maldivian law.
- Limited Offenses: The current offenses that the ACC can investigate are limited to those under the Prevention and Prohibition of Corruption Act 2000.
Recommendations for Future Development
- Strategy Evaluation: Review and evaluate the existing ACC strategy, which dates back to May 2009, and consider building in some form of evaluation into the process.
- Priority Areas of Work: Identify priority areas of work based on the review and interviews conducted.
- Knowledge Management: Assess a way to maintain and manage institutional knowledge within the ACC.
These recommendations aim to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and capacity of the ACC in combating corruption in Maldives.