Large sums of illegal expenses made by Province Offices

The Audit Report of Ministry of Home Affairs for 2010 has revealed that the Province Offices set up by the former government under the Decentralisation Act, had made several illegal and corrupt expenses involving millions of Rufiya.

The Audit Report published on the Auditor General’s website yesterday states that the Minister of Upper North Province and other senior officials had occupied the North Province office’s accommodation blocks without paying rent, even though they were being provided a monthly living allowance.

Also, electricity bills of MVR105,812 and MVR126,022 were paid for the same officials for 2010 and 2011 respectively. The Auditor General has requested Home Ministry to collect these sums from the officials and reimburse the State Revenue Fund.

The accounts of the Upper North Province Office had been utilised to pay the harbour fee of MVR156,133 while a Boskalis accommodation barge, brought in for reclamation work in Hdh. Kulhudhuffushi, was docked at the Hdh. Kulhudhuffushi regional harbour. The vouchers of the payments made also show that harbour fees for several private companies’ vessels had also been made from the same account.

The Auditor General advised to take action against those responsible and urged the Anti-Corruption Commission to probe this issue.

The Audit Report also highlighted that large sums of money were paid to the Minister of State for Upper North Province who claimed to have met with an accident. There were no reports or evidence that the accident was of any serious nature, and the State Minister and an Administrative Officer travelled to Male’ on an emergency trip on the night of the accident. The office accounts were used to pay for their return travel tickets, accommodation and food in Male’. MVR10,430 was paid as ‘travel allowance’ for the 28 days they spent in Male’. In addition, MVR21,570 was provided as ‘travel allowance’ for 54 days.

The Auditor General advised that these issues be investigated, and take action against those responsible.

On a different note, no point system was used in hiring people for the newly-created post of Project Consultants for a salary of MVR10,000, and those hired were transferred to the post of Minister of State.

The Audit Report also noted the lack of reports on travel abroad, and discrepancies in the office accounts.

Regarding the expenses made by the Southern Province office, the Auditor General also requested an investigation by the ACC in relation to a private individual who was hired to prepare a report on the General Conditions and Development in the Southern Province, whose agreed compensation was MVR22,000; but was paid MVR154,000 in the end. It was also noted that no report was produced.

The Minister of State for Southern Province travelled to Male’ on an official trip for 48 days, for which he was provided MVR32,200 in addition to food and travel expenses. The Auditor General requested that this money be collected from the State Minister.

The Minister of State for Southern Province also paid MVR10,788 for dinner for 24 people at Vilingili Resort in Addu Atoll from the State account. It is not known who approved the payment, and payment vouchers were also missing.

The Minister of Defence stayed at the same resort for three nights from 1 July 2010, for which MVR5,088 was spent from the Southern Province office account.

Also, MVR6,000 was spent on a pre-Ramadan party.

MVR18,460 was spent by the Southern Province office as accommodation for Indian officials who arrived to participate in the India-Maldives friendship week festival. MVR9,120 was spent on purchase of equipment for this festival, resulting in a total of MVR27,580. This money was spent without the approval of the Ministry of Finance.

MVR32,489 was provided illegally to the Minister of State for Southern Province as phone allowance in 2010.

The Southern Province Office also had not kept proper records of expenses.

The Province Offices were abolished following the change of government on 7 February.