The government has submitted a bill to the People’s Majlis designed to stop criminals from accessing or benefiting from funds and assets acquired through illegal means.

Announcing the initiative on X, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu explained that the primary goal of the legislation is to set up a comprehensive legal framework to confiscate illicitly obtained property from major offenders and close off avenues for profiting from it.

President Muizzu noted that the bill will prevent serious criminals from gaining financially and resolve existing legal obstacles that have hindered the state from reclaiming stolen public assets.

Currently, the lack of a unified asset-recovery system leaves room for offenders to misuse illegal wealth, hide its origins, and accumulate illicit property through crimes like corruption. To address this, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) spearheaded the creation of a draft "Model Asset Recovery Law," which clarifies legal roles, assigns agency responsibilities, and aligns asset recovery practices with the Maldivian legal system.