A meeting of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee held today to discuss information shared by the Finance Minister as part of the committee's efforts to ascertain the state of the country's finances was conducted in a closed session.
The minister was due to attend the committee today. However, he was unable to attend due to illness, Maamigili MP Qasim Ibrahim, the committee's chair, announced.
Despite not attending today's meeting, Shafeeq sent information about the state of public finances to the committee. The information was provided to MPs in their files ahead of a discussion at the meeting.
"The state's Finance Minister has said in the response he gave that the minister wants the committee to be conducted confidentially. It's information that he sent after saying this that's in our files. Therefore, this topic can't be debated if we are to bring in the media. In my view, the media can't be allowed if we are to debate this topic," Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ahmed Nazim said.
Nazim proposed holding today's meeting behind closed doors as requested by Shafeeq. Baarah MP Ibrahim Shujau seconded the motion. The committee, in which the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) has a large majority, voted to eject the media and seal off proceedings.
"[He said] in a letter that day, 'I want to make it secret because it's a sensitive problem.' This is information sent in connection with that letter. The media can't be let in if we are to speak on this topic," Nazim said.
"If the Finance Minister changes his position and if we are to hold the committee openly on the day when he comes, it can be done. So it can be verified again on the day that he comes, whether he wants to conduct it openly."
The committee's audio livestream was cut off after the vote for a closed-door session. Therefore, details about the committee's deliberations on the information sent by the Finance Ministry about the state of public finances are unknown.
If Shafeeq attends the committee next Wednesday, the meeting is also expected to take place in private.
The committee decided to summon the Finance Minister on June 4 at its second meeting. The proposal had been made by Nazim.
Before today's meeting was closed, the committee approved a proposal by Nazim to summon Auditor General Hussain Niyaz and Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) Governor Ali Hashim.
"They need to be invited to those meetings in order to complete this work as we can only make an appropriate decision after summoning them to the committee and listening to what they say. And information would also only be complete when the Auditor General and Governor gives evidence," Nazim said.
The Public Accounts Committee is a standing committee that exercises oversight over matters related to the state's finances. It is unclear whether there is any precedent for a Finance Minister requesting a closed-door meeting of the committee.
