Popular Attorney and MP for South Kulhudhuffushi constituency, Mohamed Nasheed has said that instead of assigning a Penal code to Illegally acquired wealth, the act should should be made a crime under a special law.

MP Nasheed said this while speaking at the Parliamentary sitting today, where a debate was conducted on amending the Penal code that dictates that illegally obtained wealth is a crime. The amendment was proposed by MP for Ihavandhoo constituency Mohamed Abdullah. MP Nasheed said that illegally acquired wealth is a crime, even under clause 20 of the International Agreement.

He added that assigning a Penal code from what has currently been set as the code, will not address most underlying issues here.

MP Nasheed noted that the action of acquiring illegal wealth is something that is carried out in secrecy, while someone is in a position of power where they have access to such funds. He said aa such, that this is also an action that some use their own families for and also where cash is transformed into wealth and that the wealth can be taken abroad. MP Nasheed said that the action of acquiring illegal funds involved attempting to influence or pressure witnesses and their testimony. He.said therefore that this is a crime that will be difficult to pinpoint.

MP Nasheed said that all these issues will need to addressed while assigning this act as a crime under the Penal Code.

He noted that the Corruption Convention states that should anyone acquire a sudden and unexplained increase in wealth and is indeed unable to further justify where it came from, then it should be deemed corruption.

MP Nasheed said that while assigning this act as a crime under Penal Code may generate more issues than solutions, specially formulated a law against this issue is a wise move.