Former President Mohamed Nasheed has said that the use of undeclared wealth, or dirty money, is responsible for the country’s economic woes.

The leader of opposition MDP criticized Maldives’ economic policy in an opinion piece published in Mihaaru News.

Taking statistics from different sources, Nasheed argued that economic growth has reduced by six percent, and is slower than other South Asian countries.

Nasheed also noted that “Stealing Paradise”, the Al Jazeera documentary, had exposed a Malaysian citizen helping Maldives government officials in transferring dirty money.

Describing the process in detail, Nasheed said the emails of the transactions have already been provided by Al Jazeera.

He also said that Maldives is now seen as a haven for dirty money, and that it was important for authorities to investigate these dealings since it is related to Maldives economic growth, and trust in the financial sector.