Charges dropped against Azima Shakoor

Prosecutor General’s Office has decided to drop the charges filed against former Attorney General Azima Shakoor in relation to the MMPRC corruption scandal.

Azima was charged in 2019 with facilitating money laundering and providing false information to an official body. She had requested a review of the charges.

According to the PG Office, the decision not to pursue the case follows a Supreme Court ruling that found Azima not guilty in the original money laundering file connected to the case. In light of that judgment, prosecutors said there was no use in proceeding with prosecution.

The Criminal Court had not progressed with the trial for a several years. Although the matter was later taken to the Supreme Court to determine whether proceedings should continue, the court held that the case could still be heard in the lower court.

The charges against Azima stemmed from allegations that she facilitated money laundering for former President Abdulla Yameen. Prosecutors had alleged that a significant sum siphoned from MMPRC was deposited into a Maldives Islamic Bank (MIB) account under Yameen’s name by individuals involved in the fraud, and that Azima assisted in laundering the funds while also providing false information to a state body.