The government has submitted a new bill to Parliament aimed at allowing the seizure and confiscation of property obtained through criminal activity.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu announced that the bill was submitted on Tuesday, saying it would establish a legal framework to confiscate assets acquired through criminal offences and prevent offenders from financially benefiting from the proceeds of crime.
The proposed legislation also aims to address existing gaps in the law concerning the confiscation of state property obtained by individuals involved in serious criminal offences.
However, Parliament has not yet published further details of the bill on its website.
Maldivian law already includes provisions relating to proceeds of crime. The government had also previously proposed changes to procedures for seizing and confiscating assets linked to criminal activity through amendments to the Drugs Act.
Although courts have ordered the forfeiture of money and property obtained through serious crimes in several cases, such orders have rarely been fully enforced.
