The Maldives has been ranked 143 in Transparency International’s 2010 Corruption Perception Index, equal with Pakistan and below Zimbabwe.
The ranking represents a fall of 15 places since the 2009 Index, which itself fell 15 places from the 2008 Index.
The Maldives is now ranked well below regional neighbours, including India (87), Sri Lanka (91) and Bangladesh (134). Denmark, New Zealand and Singapore ranked first, while Somalia ranked last at 178, below Burma and Afghanistan.
Speaking to Minivan News, the Maldives Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed said the drop in the index is due to the corruption of politicians associated with the previous regime.
"The decline reflects the corruption of politicians associated with the previous regime such as Ibrahim Hussain Zaki. The world is only now learning about the extent of corruption practiced by Zaki under the former regime. Such exposure is inevitable as a society becomes liberal," explained Dr Shaheed.
Ibrahim Hussain Zaki was tourism minister and later planning minister under former president Gayoom. Zaki allegedly accepted bribes worth millions of dollars, favouring certain resort owners in awarding new islands for tourism development during his term as tourism minister. President Gayoom was forced to remove Zaki from Cabinet in November 2003 after serious allegations of corruption.
Responding to the claims that the drop in corruption perception index was due to the practices of former regime, Mohamed Hussain Shareef, the Spokesperson for former President Gayoom, said the current government was more corrupt than the former government.
"The donor community has lost trust in the new government. Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed has appointed his close associates to diplomatic missions overseas. He has appointed his girlfriends as High Commissioners and Ambassadors even though they do not have any experience of diplomacy. Unlike President Gayoom who appointed people to high posts based on merit, the current government is a leader in nepotism," said Shareef.
"Gadhdhoo Zahir's daughter was promoted in Foreign Ministry because Dr Shaheed wanted Zahir's vote in parliament to escape a no confidence motion," Shareef added. "I know how Dr Shaheed works because he was my boss at Strategic Communications Department of The President's Office."
The president's press secretary Mohamed Zuhair refused to blame the previous government or the current government for the decline in the corruption perception index.
"Blaming the previous government or the current government for this decline is not important. The current government and the former government is run by the same group of people. Ahmed Abdulla (Adubarey), Red Wave Saleem, Lolly Jabir and Alhan Fahmy are just some examples. This proves perception of corruption changes over time. Yesterday we said those people were corrupt. Today we embrace them as heroes. Life is like that," explained Zuhair.
"Next year Maldives could be above Denmark and New Zealand in the corruption perception index. President Nasheed can work miracles. Look at what he did to Dhiddhoo, Velidhoo and Gulhi Falhu with the help of Boskalis. A man who can hold a cabinet meeting underwater can do anything above water," said Zuhair.
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