The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has said that the state should have received about MVR 80 million last year from cases involving corruption.

ACC members were summoned before the Parliamentary Budget Review Committee on Wednesday to discuss the proposed budget allocation for the commission in the 2026 state budget.

The proposed budget for the ACC next year is MVR 47.8 million. It is divided as follows:

ACC Chairperson Adam Shamil told the committee that the proposed budget would not be sufficient for the commission to carry out its responsibilities. Committee members questioned the commission’s performance, its success in meeting legal obligations, and its future plans.

Hanimadhoo MP Abdul Ghafoor Moosa asked, “What is your success this year in fulfilling your legal responsibilities? We see that theft and corruption have increased this year. When you request a higher budget, what is your plan for 2026?”

Shamil responded that the commission had identified about MVR 80 million in funds that should have been returned to the state from corruption-related cases in 2024 alone.

He added that since the establishment of the commission in 2008, over MVR 1 billion had been ordered for recovery to the state. However, he acknowledged ongoing concerns about the pace of recovery and the challenges faced by the ACC in investigations.

“There are still significant concerns about the commission’s performance,” Shamil said. “I believe that the commission needs a sufficient budget to address these issues. With an increased budget, we expect to produce better results before the end of the second quarter next year.”

The ACC has requested a total of MVR 84 million, though committee members questioned whether a larger allocation would speed up the commission’s work.

Hithadhoo Central MP Ahmed Azan presented statistics from the past two years:

Azan noted that the number of completed investigations was low compared to the number of complaints submitted, citing financial and operational constraints.

Shamil explained that the commission previously accepted all complaints as a public complaints bureau. However, after revisions to the ACC’s investigative procedures, in line with its constitutional role as a criminal investigative body, there has been a 36 per cent reduction in the number of cases accepted.

He said the ACC’s operations need to be digitised and automated to increase efficiency and the number of cases concluded.