Stealing paradise l Al Jazeera Investigations

AJ’s Investigative Unit has uncovered corruption in the Maldives. Secretly filmed interviews describe how men on mopeds carried millions in cash to the Maldives’ political elite. President Abdulla Yameen and his former deputy, Ahmed Adeeb, are accused of receiving cash in bags filled with up to $1m, so much that it was “difficult to carry,” according to one of the men who delivered it.
In a statement following its release, the Government of the Maldives said: “There is no evidence in this report connecting President Yameen or current members of his Government to any wrongdoing.” It noted that these claims already form part of a wider investigation initiated by President Yameen in February 2016: “We have asked Al Jazeera to provide any evidence they have which is relevant to this investigation.”
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[@solo4g1]

This is a classic piece of Journalism. It also takes a lot of courage. Good Job Al Jazeera Investigates team on the Maldives expose.

[@bababooboo2057]

YES INVESTIGATE PEOPLE OUTSIDE YOUR COUNTRY VERY COURAGE'S INDEED!

[@eeustacio]

They are the most biased news channel i have seen in my life. 🤔

[@saaramohamed8921]

@@eeustacio I believe they should show what is happening now.

[@chist2190]

i pity you. if only you knew. Al jazeera is just the propaganda arm of the Qatari government. Lets see them expose the corruption in Qatar. They have an absolute monarch. a tyranical one.

[@Liverpoolboy01]

wino hey here a clue don’t watch it, doh.

[@manavpatra4808]

Good to know that on Oct 6th, 2020, ex VP Ahmed Adeeb was sentenced to 20yrs in prison !!! My prayers for The Maldives and its people. Great reporting!

[@malc.s.5373]

This is not just the story of small islands, its the whole world we live in..

[@MusicByJC]

The problem is, this is not an isolated incidence. This is how the powerful, rich and corrupt conduct business all around the world.

[@socrates_the_great6209]

Some places at same scale, some places medium scale, others at a small and easily hidden scale. The lower the scale the easier you get away with it.

[@stbarnabas3138]

Nigeria is the worst

[@originalunoriginal4055]

They only get away or are judged to be abiding by the law purely because they wear a shirt and tie to "work"

[@originalunoriginal4055]

It's like the commercials you are exposed to... colourful, fun, feel-happiness, perfect-solution, innovative, state of the art, must-have..... But beneath or rather behind the surface... It's get it done-or go hungry to sleep, sweaty, life threatening, no choice, exploitation, suffering, law-breaking, socially unacceptable, pain, morally wrong!

[@CritiicalThiinker]

They are doing this in Florida, USA right now. Look where hurricane Ian hit. All our islands are being destroyed. Weather modification should be another show and start letting people know this is real. No one asks questions or does any research any more. They are too brainwashed to think their Govt is taking care of them. The corruption has gotten so convincing, they are like sheep being led to the slaughter.

[@haddingtoniangcp2464]

"How could you even say that? Say it to my face!" He just did.

[@JoraDXplora]

Winds of change are always sure to come. God bless the people of Maldives.

[@krisztiankramli3038]

Sorry to say,but it'is not,can't change this without violence !

[@Marty7Elago]

dude set ihmself on fire when torching the tv station hahaha

[@sunilnair4755]

Beautifully produced documentary...

[@iramsaleem6162]

Adeeb has taken more selfies in 2 minutes than my friends and I have in our whole lifetime..

[@hawwalaufa8939]

😂😂😂

[@omar35390]

Ikr 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@LMita-rx2iz]

Kjhjhmjj 8#6271144714819

[@gameshere9336]

I love

[@MrMrsMandal]

Qqb

[@DushyantJoshiNewZealand]

Abdulla Yameen arrested for money laundering in Feb 2019. Great stuff guys!!

[@naomiali886]

un like america waiting 4justice

[@hedegaard8]

@@naomiali886 Who in America?

[@socrates_the_great6209]

So what, the money will never come back. And the crooks will come out of jail and be rich.

[@vantastroganoff4370]

U pathetic

[@disrael2101]

Karma

[@GorillaTVe]

the greed of some people , unimaginable for me

[@JohnnyFD]

I was just in the Maldives for the past 2 weeks. No wonder the infrastructure, airport, WiFi, capital city and even the new Humale was all terrible. The money seems to have been disappeared. 🇲🇻

[@afsan13]

Sadly, there is nothing we can do about this.

[@Zomgkaboozle]

Yes there is, The Greeks did it to their government.

[@shingshongshamalama]

Yeah, that whole thing where Greece stopped being an economic mess. Oh wait.

[@Zomgkaboozle]

That's a witty comment, It'd be wittier if you went back and realized what I typed in and understood the context of it all before commenting on it. The difference between us and Greece is the fact that what's happening to us right now is quite recent, it hasn't been going on for decades, and we actually have money in our hands where as the Greeks were in millions of debt, and had quite literally little to no money on their hands. So just throwing your hands in the air whilst you're sitting at your chair typing out comments that make it look like Greece's economical situation is the same as ours is a little too asinine isn't it?

[@shingshongshamalama]

My apologies. What I meant to say was "yeah this'll get fixed except it won't because no matter what the public does the corruption just won't go away".

[@Zomgkaboozle]

And standing idle and doing nothing about it will? I understand the reaction of pessimism in the face of such daunting a task to undertake. But doing something is always greater than doing nothing, even if it is something as meager as writing a comment. Because there is always the probability that something will happen if you try, where as there is nothing that can come of idling.

[@zouhairuk]

Top quality journalism. Unlike the BBC.

[@aljazeeraenglish]

Thank you.

[@johnmwakilili]

Come on...you dont have to play down one to lift another.

[@sikotv6441]

@@aljazeeraenglish ;lol BBC got roasted

[@vantastroganoff4370]

Here we go BBC making documentary before barefoot mom HUSTLE dad

[@johnwonder8720]

Its sad when I trust Al Jazeera more than ABC or the BBC .

[@mahanjung]

Great job guys...come to Nepal for investigation, I will help. Let's make this world a better world!!!

[@glennhertel1165]

Stealing from the Poor is Unacceptable, Should be A Death Sentence.

[@InformedConsent322]

round up entire Washington then please

[@hamzabouteraa2027]

The poor have nothing and don't work for nothing. Why should rich people give anything?

[@glennhertel1165]

@@hamzabouteraa2027 We will just Take It.

[@dalhaw6760]

Billons of people would be dead

[@anthonymanderson7671]

Definitely

[@ishagshafeeg]

Thank you, Al Jazeera. Wonderful job!

[@chrisv.noire.6388]

The US media could learn a thing or two about this dying art of journalism. Authentic old school journalism does not follow the noise for ratings...it goes where the silence is.

[@wonderfulwenna2710]

Chris V. Noire. Exactly right!

[@Holistic_angst64]

Exactly. I trust Al Jazeera and small independent journalists more than any large news corporation that sensationalizes stories for ratings

[@hussainmotiwala5962]

This is undoubtedly one of the best Investigative journalism I have ever seen. Well done 'Al Jazeera'. I sincerely hope and pray that it creates ripples among the International community to stand up and take notice of what is happening to this extraordinarily beautiful islands. Yameen is a stone cold seasoned Mafia boss and it is so evident on how he framed his own nephew sensing that he might grow too big even for him to control. Maldivian people deserves much better than this low life goons and I am sure that one day they will get it.

[@myhouseimports]

Another beautifully-produced documentary from AJ : an important story, powerfully told.

[@irenesorina3934]

Thank you for exposing the corruptions of Maldives leaders.

[@porkey768]

It's worlds most racist news channel

[@multiversalsoldier33]

It's cool.

[@emilioguifarro6389]

​​@@porkey768 my God. You must be Yameen's relative 😂

[@shadhar781]

when zaheena called adeeb fat 😂😂😂😂

[@azharlumm9033]

Loool I see you kid.

[@warsmohamed4368]

When she almost sung "hotline BLING BLING". Still, what a beautiful country.

[@shadhar781]

+Azhar Lumm i dont know you. stop being weird

[@azharlumm9033]

+Shadh ar what you don't remember the time we made out behind school 😓

[@warsmohamed4368]

+Shadh ar is this like unraveling the corruption behind school? like stealing school?

[@fathisaidomar]

I can't believe am watching this now after watching the Namibia scandal....

[@KevinP32270]

all around the world it's the same ole song.

[@dorianvalentin5195]

Got stole paradise in California too it's bull....!

[@dorianvalentin5195]

Gov

[@badmusidris7853]

awon were everwhere

[@socrates_the_great6209]

Truth, in the west they just hide it better and keep it at a small scale. More intelligent.

[@GuitarguyRichard56]

yip. sad way humans behave. Vancouver Canada- Sold to the Chinese. Screw the people that live there.Cost of living increases, wages dont. Democracies in decline

[@javanesia3365]

Thank you Al Jazeera for the diligent work of this documentary. Really appreciate it.

[@luisc.h.6700]

Great job, Al Jazeera! You're one of the best channels!

[@OowllwoO]

Those brave people have put their lives on the line for the sake of truth. Fear didn't stop them. Bless them all.

[@cindy652]

Change will not happen without those brave people. But, change is slow because the masses move in herds; they feel safer hidden in the crowd, and will not move unless pushed. Even then, they are driven any which way by the tides of fear.

[@thekeywhatwhat...9744]

AL jazeera always at work ✊🏼✊🏼

[@hassanmattia7969]

Imagine the respect these criminals have. Meanwhile, the ordinary hard working person out there is looked down on 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@SnazzyNelson]

The funniest thing is the Mr Nasheed s regime was a lot worse than this and Nasheed is talking about Yaamin LOL

[@razaan869]

You aren't fooling anybody here. XD

[@SnazzyNelson]

Everybody knows Nasheed is power hungry like all other politicians in Maldives. There were enough accusations of corruption against him as well. You can either be blind and be fooled by MDP or look at the wider picture and see what politicians are doing to Maldives.

[@razaan869]

I never claimed that Nasheed is squeaky clean. But you're wrong to think that MDP's rule was more corrupt than this. Very little could be more corrupt than this.

[@Frups12345678]

+Suhail Mohamed If the Gayoom clan would have had any evidence of Nasheed being corrupt, why was he charged with terrorism and not corruption? Most politicians are hungry for power and that includes Nasheed, but the Gayoom clan is the mafia!

[@ShaffafAhmed]

He was charged and also they already ordered him to give some money back and Dr.Shaheed did give the money he owed the state .. However those amounts were nowhere near what Yaameen might have embezzled .

[@azazahamed]

You deserve better, Maldives. Thank you AJ for this. Sometimes I wish I had half of your courage.

[@KaraboGerald]

I know he was corrupt, but we have to thank him for the phone leaks.

[@tommypaget2294]

Thank you Algazeera......you will have millions of viewers and followers, because your reporting is really great, really factual, and great topics that really affect everyone of us and our world. Please keep making these great documentaries.....your channel will get millions of viewers!!!!!

[@foreverexplorer8283]

Much appreciate the courage of the people who cover this for the people

[@cakabey3323]

This is what i call journalism .👏👍👏

[@davidnopanen3232]

the only true journalists left in the world. Outstanding.

[@wafiyzyusoff1846]

i'm shocked about how Malaysian business man doing money laundring.I'm malaysian and i'm ashamed.

[@vantastroganoff4370]

You heard of your sovereignty fund Use outside Why dont you open your eyes SINGAPORE Indonesia the biggest elite front Your PRESIDENT and his wife You too busy bein anti Chinese Poor mind

[@sultan-nc6fh]

@webeskimo Mohammed PBUH acutely die poor and his people were wealthier Mohammed was the greatest leader in humanity history, and many Christian and atheist writer wrote about how great leader he was an example of that is the greatest 100 human book, the writer said he was the greatest human in the history of humanity. Also, all these Corrupt learn that from the west look were they get educated all from western countries also they hate Islamist more than u hate Islam because they know it’s the only way to stop their corruption

[@dfofficial9034]

@@webeskimo no it's about individual. Every people in the world has various characters! Remember for that! but the religion is the guidance to the right path in the world and thereafter. But prophet muhammad is the greatest man ever, you should read the book written by michael hart. Muhammad is the first top number 1 for all aspects

[@webeskimo]

@@sultan-nc6fh i am from iran i am supposed to be a descendant of mohammad and knew quran almost by heart. so please stop the bullshit. 1- we know nothing about the real historical mohammad besides that he did not live in mecca and medina of in arabia ( it is obvious if you bother to read the quran) islamic sources say he made his money as a muslim leader as slave trader and bandit. Yeah overal my "grand grand pa?" was pretty cool for his time....for his time....for our time he is a thief, child molester and a murderer.etc..but that is our time. In his times that was normal

[@dapurofficer7934]

You should be more ashamed as Malaysian now knowing your 6th PM & His beloved wife commit the biggest money laundering in the world with people tax payer money.

[@zapfanzapfan]

"How many pallets?" That is some scale of corruption...

[@SujataMukherjee01]

SO PAINFUL

[@lianalonge1984]

Shocker 🙄. Regardless, excellent reporting.

[@sexonsamillano2660]

Prayers and justice to the people of Maldives

[@keithmcloughlin7324]

Ye Gotta love ❤️ This Chanel the best, the whole truth Al Jazeera , great work to u all 💯 best wish ,Dublin ,Ireland 👏🏻👌✌️🙏☘❤️.

[@shasy00]

Thank you so much AJ, same time this was heart breaking to watch. We kinda live in small cojucted places by giving $1000 as rent per month while our beautiful islands are been sold out. Maldives is no longer a paradises.

[@3nonti]

:-(:-(

[@nexeinaz5464]

just have hope..Maldives is going at the right direction..it needs to clean off all the dirt in the system for the new generation to take over..the dirt have remained for a very long time but it leaves stains which will lead to them..ofcoxe let them fly with the money,let them build with the money and let them be happy..but when the wrath of thousand prayers,their anger and frustration falls upon them only a GOD can save them..if you look at history,Maldives have survived worse..we are the survivors of chain islands..nothing is impossible,everything is part of a bigger plan than whats on any of those Big men's mind

[@thetenugos4689]

where is this country at??

[@xavierdesschua6043]

所罗门门口看看解决gy

[@AdsGamingPH]

sante barley

[@MyInfotainmentFix]

Sad part of these stories is that nothing ever changes and no international company will pay any price for facilitating this corruption.

[@aliatar9325]

Thanks from Maldives 🇲🇻

[@MichelMawon4982]

Journalism and more specifically, investigative journalism is God's work. I was literally just putting the finishing touches on my vacation there and browsing, but I'm canceling my trip. As tranquil and beautiful as it looks there, I could never actually relax there now knowing that there's this dark side where journalists disappear which means anything can happen and they'd cover it up. The title is so apt.

[@jovariamohamed5856]

Adeeb increased massively in size after eating all the haram money

[@TojiddinJana]

He just turned into a pig:)

[@khan-nr5qu]

Now he will slim in jail 😅😄🤣🤣

[@randomsufan5770]

And the haram money was salted in pork obviously

[@interguy589]

So everyone can see

[@IcecreamLeGenD]

Aljazeera did a great job putting the spotlight on this. These corrupt people need to be punished and the world has to know what this government is reponsible for.

[@samsonstormy5157]

Top-notch journalism! 👍👍

[@muflihmuslih9979]

Al Jazeera Investigates Stealing Paradise really Excellent

[@CrosswireHunter]

AJ is TOP OF THE NOTCH JOURNALISM.. AWESOME... THX QATAR.

[@FahadAzizNiazi]

great Work to UnCover The Corruption !!

[@cheri238]

This one of I did not see, I saw other ones though. THANK YOU.❤️ AL Jazeera, you are the best.

[@glascoebowie9359]

Corruption been spreading like a plague for centuries.

[@gregorydoyle4960]

Sea level is rising faster than expected... 😂

[@tonnyanthonys2159]

😅😅😅.. Your hilarious

[@altskeptic]

a movie should be made about this

[@dank4509]

what kind of supreme court judge can't spell achievement.

[@ybet1000]

A Maldivian one. =p... he can spell "train" or "GB"... what about the vice presidentie... delete all "massages" he texts .. rather than "messages".. Freudian slip perhaps? =p

[@joelkahiga4661]

@@ybet1000 How many languages can you speak?

[@alfalf2417]

🤣🤣🤣

[@hungvo6957]

Good Documentary...well done Al Jazeera.... I love watching Al Jazeera from KZbin

[@jnyerere]

23:21 I actually burst in laughter here. He wasn't even trying to look innocent.

[@timothynesbitt9148]

W what made me laugh was that the auditor general was so surprised that a government good fast and office building with 200 people. Now let me think could I name another government or country that would do such a thing as blow up a building full of people, even 2 buildings, and on the same day??🤔🤔🤔 Come to think of it the people in both of those buildings were auditors too!!!🤦🏽‍♂️🤯wtf 🤦🏻‍♀️🤪🙆🏼‍♀️. That country whichever it was! Was lucky there was only 3000 in the offices that morning despite it being just after 9am on a Monday, when you would think in a building capable of housing 60,000+ people,& it being the start of the working week. Why was so many people late for work, including the owner and boss who called all his employees to a 9am meeting that day to start an audit. Oh & his kids were late to that meeting too!!

[@carlosmercado5820]

I was working as an architect designing resorts in maldives when the elected president was ousted. I knew that there is someone controling these police coz you can't easily arrest an elected president and take him out of the office. Now Al jazeera gives me more clarity for that

[@ElvisKipkorir]

Woow, I am seriusly impressed by the art and skill in this piece of investigation. Although I missed it back in 2016. Good job Al Jazeera

[@justinwil4365]

Great cinematography.

[@happyhenrykenya1814]

Awesome investigative journalism. Keep it up especially in fast developing African countries.

[@WorldAreAll1]

Time for Maldives ppl to revolt

[@saaramohamed8921]

It's a media stunt

[@micheltheflambonian]

Great job, guys!!!!

[@cyrusthegreat1345]

Excellent documentary. First class. 👌

[@HassaanHussain]

Mother!! Should I trust the government? 😟

[@aquaknight21]

we need an international law that allows the people to re-appropriate assets loss do to corruption. part of the problem is that, even when discovered, the ones that lose is the people. if investor where liable for corruption dealings in the way of losing their investment, the system would self regulate itself better, as investor would shy away from deals that are too good to be true and would investigate such deals better. An incentives for reporting such deals might also aid in the fight against corruption that has become common place all over the world. Even in natural disasters aid we are seeing corruption, there is a vacuum of authority in the world. if this status quo continues, terrorism will only increase. we arrest a couple as if the "cancer" had not spread all over the government but this is a delusion and im quite sure that the people of the Maldives still do not have a government because the demoralization/mistrust of the people for their government will not be repaired with a couple of arrest. the small fish will learn from the big fish and continue the practice with an even better counter strategy, is human nature.

[@francisrop4209]

I believe what is going on in my country Kenya could be even worse than this.

[@franga7870]

What is going on .. yaani wakenya sijui wanakuanga je kila mahali ni kushinda unaonyeshana negative pictures

[@willylukwago6051]

What about my country Uganda?

[@sugeethster]

Aljazeera please keep up the beautiful and honest reporting because of agencies like you people still have hope and faith left in journalism. I salute the courage you poses and quality of reporting . Please make a documentary on indians situation after modi government took over the power . I will be very thankful to you .

[@shafeekmohammed6226]

very sad to watch this documentory... such a beautiful paradise.....

[@prbhvsr]

a great piece of investigating journalism! 👌👏👏👏👍

[@fionaphillips3458]

Great journalism exposes corruption and human rights violations, thank you for this.

[@alexanderk.5474]

"Who will guard the guards themselves?"

[@SathiyaprakashAthlete]

Very interesting secrets and sad too !

[@Badgersj]

'We have obtained videos....' love it. Proper old-fashioned reporting.

[@Philly_bul]

So basically they have the same government leaders of EVERY country. Name ONE country you couldnt write the exact story about.

[@chillridemotovlog6909]

I loved this documentary... Best investigating team.. more power to you guys..

[@danielswarovski6462]

Great documentary; however they could have made it more exhaustive by naming ALL the global hotel chains that are involved. Corruption is a double edged sword after all

[@marianamancini7142]

Excellent journalism

[@abdullanajuvaan1165]

I never knew this was happening thanks for this❤️

[@nandanasalvi]

Thanks for bringing this important piece to the world who's mesmerized by the turquoise waters. Exactly our point after visiting there. My son, then 15 yrs old, has described it in two words. A GOLDEN CAGE We had a few heart-to-heart conversations with some locals and were left with our jaws dropped after hearing their personal stories, how families were torn off their heritage homes only to hand those islands to oligarchs and tycoons. Just one thing I m quite disappointed with the report. On one hand you've shown cases of people disappeared and properties damaged after talking against the regime. So why have you exposed the sources that endangered their lives, undercover, to bring this information. Couldn't you just PIXEL them to avoid any revenge steps?!

[@stevetanai9669]

Should be hanged on spot. The next in line will think twice. Believe me.

[@LucidPreditor]

Another corrupt person will just take his place, the entire governmet system globally needs to be destroyed, it just doesn't work.

[@cherylaminahislam5601]

At this time in history, everywhere we see cowards and thieves as leaders, these are not Men.

[@jahiribnarafiq6780]

just wow. I am speechless. How can anyone stoop so low?

[@tracydaly6430]

Real gutsy journalism THANKS

[@wahhaabu]

the shame :(

[@TubersAndPotatoes]

Now it makes a lot of sense why it's very difficult for the Maldives to improve their condition for the sinking islands. All that money is being stolen. Any foreign help is going to think twice about pouring money in, if a lot of it is going to get stolen.

[@100songs]

Excellent Documentary Al Jazeera

[@SAEDXB]

Amazing Documentary !

[@magickriver]

Sounds just like Malaysia!

[@hedegaard8]

Of course - any Islamic country is like this.

[@alansd.3663]

Comparing this to the Islamic Regime of Iran this is nothing.

[@khalida2654]

It's really but what even sadder is them calling each other bro :(

[@muddasariqbal9142]

Amazing insight into corruption!

[@saquibshahab3423]

True journalism free journalism. Hats off to Al jazeera.

[@edwinkimani4557]

Mobutu late president of zaire was the same, died n buried shamelessly. Never took anything with him. Left his family in trouble. What's the greed for. Everything will be taken back.

[@rilwanmohamed3428]

I was wondering when USA and UK are gonna come to Maldives for implement democracy like they did to Afghanistan, Egypt And Iraq

[@shanatinnin339]

Were packing up now, be there ASAP.

[@InfiniteNaturalMystic]

This happened in Jamaica 🇯🇲 too

[@santhoshferrari4107]

gr8 work Al Jazeera.

[@skyex13]

This is heartbreaking - I can barely watch - how can people do this to their own countrymen?

[@noolaiphx8189]

Investigate countries in Africa, it's the very same story.

[@stefanjohansson2373]

It’s called greed, one of the human sad parts.

[@ravim111]

Excellent investigative journalism

[@ratcheteight8114]

Saddening revelation that needs the attention of the entire world. Better yet to reveal the dirty skeleton of this magnificent island at the soonest time possible, than witnessing it slowly becoming trash that next generations will see.

[@marlonaguilar560]

Top notch Journalism! You guys there are so amazing!