Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), announcing their decision to conduct a special research to identify the incentives to commit corruption-related crimes and the necessary steps which needs to be enforced to prevent corruption, states efforts in this trajectory have been commenced.

As per the Commission, the purpose of the research is to identify how corruption-related crimes are committed in the Maldives and identify research-driven steps which needs to be enforced to prevent such crimes.

Aspects that will be comprehensively looked into as part of this research include:

Why individuals who commit corruption deliberate on committing corruption

• How corruption is committed
• Posts in the government of individuals who commit corruption
• How power and influence and used
• How other employees are incentivized to participate
• The standard of their living (how they maintain expenses and their criminal mindset)
• The reasons behind committing criminal offenses

ACC, noting this is the first time such a comprehensive research is being conducted in the Maldives on the subject, said the research will help identify disciplinary aspects of the criminal offenders and ways disciplinary action is influenced in connection to the offense in the Maldivian society.

Additionally, the Commission states the research involves the understanding of how offenders determine the right and wrong related to the criminal offense, the reasons behind repeated offending, the financial soundness of the offenders and other aspects related to the crime.

Furthermore, ACC states the research will significantly aid in developing a technical framework to combat corruption in the Maldives – backed up the findings of research conducted by the Commission earlier to identify the level of awareness among the public regarding corruption.

The findings will also help identify aspects that need to be strengthened with respect to promoting integrity and establish a plan to foster integrity among students within their education.

They would also assist in determining the measures that need to be implemented to prevent corruption in employment and in this trajectory, point the way to how laws, regulations and policies need to be drawn up to enforce these measures.

Moreover, it would also aid in identifying negligence concerning corruption-related crimes and how to shape intervention programs that should be conducted to prevent negligence.