Ex-WAMCO boss faces corruption charges

The anti-corruption watchdog is seeking charges against the former managing director of the Waste Management Corporation over the purchase of a used dump truck by the state-owned corporation in 2017.

Mohamed Shifau is accused of abuse of authority to unduly benefit a third party, according to an investigation report released by the Anti-Corruption Commission on Sunday. 

The 350 kilo dump truck was sold to WAMCO by a company called Quebec Investments but it was registered under M CO Holdings, whose shareholders included Shifau, the ACC explained.

WAMCO’s initial bid request for a one tonne truck was later changed and the smaller vessel was purchased at an inflated cost. 

The truck was imported to the Maldives a year before it was sold to WAMCO. It was labelled as new and sold after minor repairs at the cost of a new truck, the ACC found. 

Even though the truck was sold to WAMCO by Quebec Investments it was owned by M CO Holdings. The two companies are run by brothers, the ACC noted. 

“Quebec Investments transferred 94 percent of the payment of the truck to a company called Monark Private Limited, a company the former managing director has an interest in,” the statement read.

The watchdog forwarded the case to the Prosecutor General’s office to press charges against Shifau.