Maldives seeks whistleblowers

The Maldivian government yesterday urged its citizens to support its anti-corruption drive after it launched a website to help trace millions of dollars reportedly stolen during the former regime.

The whistleblower site went live on Tuesday, days after the government sought international help to find millions of dollars allegedly siphoned off by former president Abdulla Yameen, who faces embezzlement and money laundering charges.

Launching the portal, President Mohamed Ibrahim Solih called on government employees and ordinary citizens to anonymously lodge reports of corruption, an official in his office told AFP.

"The campaign is to assure the community that his administration will not tolerate corruption at any level," the official said.

Users were encouraged to access the whistleblower site through proxy servers to ensure anonymity.

Maldivian police have said their investigations found evidence linking Yameen and his justice minister Azima Shakoor to the theft of state funds and money laundering.