Maldives Gas Scandal: MP Accuses MD of Gambling Away Funds; Denial Ignites Controversy

Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Hussain Ziyad, known as Fittey, has leveled shocking allegations against Maldives Gas Managing Director Abdullah Mohamed, claiming he gambled away an advance payment intended for a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shipment. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has launched an investigation into the missing funds, though details remain undisclosed. Speaking during a parliamentary debate on a proposed anti-gambling law, Fittey accused Abdullah of squandering USD 250,000 through gambling. Abdullah vehemently denied the allegations, calling them false and defamatory. The scandal has sparked widespread outrage, with police also investigating potential money laundering tied to Maldives Gas. This is not the company's first brush with corruption—previous investigations under the MDP administration revealed similar irregularities, including the theft of medical oxygen cylinders during the COVID-19 pandemic.